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Man taken to hospital after mower tips into water

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Aug 21, 2008 - 09:19:46 pm CDT

A 52-year-old worker was taken to a Lincoln hospital Thursday after his riding lawnmower tipped over into a small reservoir of water and pinned him there for several minutes.

Rescue units were called to an area on the 2000 block of Pine Lake Road about 10:50 a.m. Thursday. When they arrived, they found the man’s co-workers performing CPR on him.

Authorities said the man, who works for a private contractor, was apparently mowing on a bank next to a water collection area between a business area and some apartments when the mower tipped over.

Story Photo
A worker riding a lawn mower tipped over and was trapped underwater behind 2021 Pine Lake Road at 10:50 a.m. Thursday. Co-workers rescued the 52-year-old man and performed CPR but he was unresponsive. Lincoln Fire and Rescue personnel took the victim to BryanLGH West and his condition is unknown. (William Lauer)

Deputy Fire Chief Jeanne Pashalek said that his co-workers played a pivotal role in helping him survive the accident, since they immediately performed CPR once they pulled him from the water.  He was pinned under the mower for about three minutes, according to authorities.

“Those mowers weigh 800 pounds,” Pashalek said. “His co-workers did an incredible job (of rescuing him from under it).”

She said authorities called a chaplain to the scene to help the man’s co-workers cope with the traumatic morning.

The man was taken to BryanLGH Medical Center West, officials said. His condition was not known Thursday evening.


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Nina wrote on August 21, 2008 12:25 pm:
" Re photo: look at the degree of that incline. It was folly to try to mow there. Next person or next time should stay farther back and use a weed whip to trim close to water's edge. I'm sure hoping this guy will be OK, because the angels were flying low over him there. "

 Anya wrote on August 21, 2008 12:55 pm:
" This is terrible! thank goodness his co-workers knew CPR. "

 Husker wrote on August 21, 2008 2:37 pm:
" Three minutes under water is too long to hold your breath! Without air, brain death occurs in 8-10 minutes. I'm hoping they kept him alive by CPR until the EMTs arrived. The private contractor should be held responsible if the man suffered brain damage or worse, dies from this needless accident. My prayers are with him. LJK. "

 Friend wrote on August 22, 2008 1:52 am:
" The tow bar on the mower broke and swung the whole thing into the pond. This is a great man that has helped many people and does alot of work with the girlscouts. My prayers are with him and his family. "

 sheila wrote on August 22, 2008 11:05 am:
" We should be thanking the men who rescued him. It was an accident and they DO happen even when you have done the same thing a dozen times before.
Kudos to his fellow workers. You should be very proud of yourselves! "

 Concerned wrote on August 22, 2008 11:28 am:
" The contractor should have them using mowers with the roll over safety protection (sytem (ROPS) when you know you have a mower used on hills and espcially by water. The ZTR mowers have had big safety issues with this which is why the ROPS system was created. Also, with that degree of incline, a ZTR mower is not safe.

My prayers are with him and his family in this terrible time. "

 Joe wrote on August 22, 2008 3:24 pm:
" Just to let all of you know the operator of the mower was the owner and the incline that he was mowing on was not as great as the wonderful news people make it sound. There are much greater dangers in the lawn care industry and this WAS AN ACCIDENT. Quit judging and hope that if something like this ever happens to you, that you have good enough people around you to be heros. "

 Quit judging wrote on August 22, 2008 3:28 pm:
" Just to let you know the operator of the machine was one of the owners and there are much greater dangers in the lawn care industry. The degree of the slope is not as great as the wonderful media made it out to be. He was an experienced operator and this WAS AN ACCIDENT. Quit judging and hope that if something like this ever happens to you, you have good enough people around you to be heros. "

 co worker wrote on August 24, 2008 3:06 pm:
" I had the pleasure of working with Bob for quite some time. He was a person of good judgment and great character. We spend more time on these mowers than most people ever do in there own vehicles. I have used that mower myself countless hours and the capabilities of them are endless. They are a great mower. I can assure all of you that there is no blamed to be placed or persons at fault for this. It was truly accidental. Roll bars or not would make no difference in the outcome of this accident. He was pinned by the mower not crushed by it, a roll bar could just as easily have pinned him down.
I will return to work next week thinking only of the great memories that God allowed us to have with him, and keep going strong. I urge all of you to do the same..
My prayers are with Bob and his family. "

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