Unspeakable tragedy

[Bill Hoffman]

In Salem CT today, a 6 year old boy was "helping" his dad clearing brush.
While dad's back was turned, the child threw a branch into a running wood
chipper. He got caught on the branch and was pulled into the chipper.

Folks, keep your kids away from running equipment. I cannot imagine how
these parents are going to cope. Even the state police spokesperson was
on the verge of tears.

 

[MasseyWV]

Salem child killed in accident involving wood chipper - WFSB Channel 3

 

[Ductape]

What can you say to that?

Tragic......

 

[MHarryE]

Should children that age be playing where it is safe and not working with dad? I have visible scars everywhere, hand from PTO accident, wrist from logging accident, head several scars from being hit by flying whatever. Worst is an emotional scar from nearly flipping a non-ROPs tractor backwards. Worst one I know of is where a farmer had his young daughter with him when he plugged it. Instead of stopping the engine he disengaged the header clutch and went to clean it out. As he got it unplugged his daughter played with the buttons and combined daddy. They got us together and asked how we should defend the ensuing lawsuit. When we heard the story we all said to get out the checkbook and negotiate a settlement. No matter what we said about safety practices we were going to lose something, so cut our losses and run.

 

[blueriver]

What can you say to that?

Tragic......

Yes sir ... Tragic.

 

[jimmyj]

What can you say to that?

Tragic......

x3. Wow.

 

[Ozykioti]

That's so horrible.

When I took delivery of my tractor last year the guy that was running me through operating it was very big on safety. He saw my 3 yr old girl and told me of a horror story that had happened when a guy had been using a rotary-hoe(tiller) with his child in the cab sitting beside/behind him, the rear window opened and ........

Glad he shared the story with me, as sad as it was I'll always remember it. When you grow up around this type of equipment you can become used to the dangers and need a reminder to keep it safe.

R.I.P little bloke.

 

[JDgreen227]

I just saw that news on aol.com when I logged in...what a horrible and shocking accident. I don't know how the father can possibly cope with it...there are those who will d*** him for letting his child even be near such a dangerous machine but he has to live with this the rest of his life and that is punishment enough. So sad.

 

[devildog1]

Wow! What can you say, father will always have to live with question of of right or wrong. For some reason I keep seeing flashes of the movie Fargo.
DevilDog

 

[tractchores]

A really tough situation. I personally feel like pets and children have no place near heavy equipment. Children may be an exception if old enough and they are watched constantly. The first time I used heavy equipment with my Dad we spent an awful long time talking about the dangers, pinch points, where to stand etc. While too young to get it the first times he constantly re-enforced it to where it became habit at a very young age.... Of course this person could have done all that, accidents unfortunately happen, even to adults who have been using machines for years. Unfortunately the equipment that so many of us like to operate is inherently dangerous, and while we can reduce the risk we can never make it totally risk free. I can't imagine how horrible this must be for the father and the family. I'm sure it happened in a flash and he'll think about that split second he was distracted for the rest of his life.

 

[Renze]

i take kids that run around equipment i operate, with me in the cab so i know where they are. as long as you dont do weird things like wheelies, inside the cab is the safest place to be for a kid, because the operator controls the kids whereabouts, instead of having to look out for it.



Next to this tragedy, think of the firemen that have to collect the remains after this accident... I knew a fireman who has collected remains after a train suicide... The firesquad REQUIRED the involved men to take the rest of the day off, play some billiart on the base, and have a talk with a mental counselor: They were not allowed to go home and bother their wives and kids with what they had seen....

I respect firemen... They see what nobody else wants to see...

 

[creekbend]

I just prayed a silent prayer for the Family. Rest in Peace.

 

[ray66v]

This was not just an "accident" where circumstances took place that led to a tragedy.

If the reports I have seen are true, this was criminally irresponsible behavior, that resulted in a predictable outcome.

Had the father been an ignorant home owner who rented the chipper, and was completely oblivious of how dangerous it really was, (which still should have been totally obvious after using it for 2 minutes), I could understand how this happened.

But, an owner of a tree service, letting a child near one, let alone the fact that it looks like the child was loading it?

If you have never used on of these machines, you cannot imagine the rate at which the limbs accelerate as they shoot through it. You quickly realize that you need to use extreme caution to guard against being caught in the branches, and pulled in.

It's so incredibly sad that no one thought better of this, in time to prevent this tragedy.

 

[JDgreen227]

Not trying to d*** the father, but what Ray66v says is quite true. About ten years ago my wife's brother, who was in his 40's at the time, had rented one of those chippers and he lost half of two fingers because of how rapidly the machine grabbed the branch he was holding.

 

[arrow]

This was not just an "accident" where circumstances took place that led to a tragedy.

If the reports I have seen are true, this was criminally irresponsible behavior, that resulted in a predictable outcome.

Had the father been an ignorant home owner who rented the chipper, and was completely oblivious of how dangerous it really was, (which still should have been totally obvious after using it for 2 minutes), I could understand how this happened.

But, an owner of a tree service, letting a child near one, let alone the fact that it looks like the child was loading it?

If you have never used on of these machines, you cannot imagine the rate at which the limbs accelerate as they shoot through it. You quickly realize that you need to use extreme caution to guard against being caught in the branches, and pulled in.

It's so incredibly sad that no one thought better of this, in time to prevent this tragedy.

I agree with this 100%. Even if a homeowner rented one of these, he would find out in 2 minutes that this is a take no prisoners device let alone a man who has used one every day perhaps and had become complacent enough to allow his 6 year old near it and actually use it. There will be no consolation for these parents for the rest of their lives. The only possible benefit to this story is in its broadcast so as to thwart the concept that small children and dangerous and potentially deadly machinery can go together. Perhaps this to avoid what to a parent, is the most devastating heart break of all. My utmost condolences to this family.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Not an unspeakable tragedy.
The only unspeakable tragedies are when nobody will talk about them, and nobody learns from them.

What this was was a horrible case of bad judgement on the father's part.

I never agree with pressing charges against people like him; the lifetime memories of the loss of his child is the only "punishment" necessary.

 

[jonyyuma]

What a price to pay for a few minutes of judgement?

 

[kebo]

Wow, how horrible! I know that family is just grieving their hearts out now. To make it worse, not only was the father experienced with that machine, he was doing a job at a neighbors yard! That involves the neighbors family as well, so you know that they are having heartache over it too.

Just so sad, and it could have totally been avoided. I say that because I am a firm believer that children should not even be around heavy or power equipment when it is being operated, this includes riding them on tractor for a little bit of fun with dad or grandpa, but I know this topic has been discussed numerous times in this forum so I'll say no more about the subject.

 

[Bill Hoffman]

Dr. Zinj,

You are certainly correct. I should have titled it
"Unthinkable Tragedy".

I don't know how this family will ever get past this.
The child's 2 siblings watched it happen.

Keep your kids safe, folks.

Bill

 

[yelbike]

Wow....... so sad.
I felt bad for yelling at my then 7 year son for following me right behind the wheel of my fordson super major. I had explained to him not two minutes prior that dad did not want to run over him so he should stay far away from the tractor.
Now I have smaller tractors with smaller blind spots but I also have smaller kids too. My 1.5 year old now runs after my tractor for a ride........I'm stuck........do give her a ride, she loves it, or do I not but than I have too look out for her.