A 94-year-old Smoaks man was trapped under his tractor after the piece of equipment rolled down an embankment Wednesday afternoon Sept. 9.
Fire-Rescue was dispatched at 3:22 p.m. to the 100 block of Lodge Highway (S.C. Hwy. 217) in Smoaks.
The man was working alone, mowing grass on a dike surrounding a large pond, when the tractor apparently got too close to the edge and overturned.
The tractor landed at the water’s edge, pinning the man’s leg under the tractor and the side-cutter.
Fortunately, he had a cell phone with him and was able to call for assistance. Firefighter-paramedics stationed in Smoaks arrived quickly and were met at the road by friends and family, who directed them approximately 900 feet along the dike to the where the tractor was located.
The man was found to be in stable condition. Crews used shovels to begin digging under the tractor in an attempt to free the man’s leg.
Rescue tools and air bags were deemed inadequate due to the water and mud.
Equipment was hauled into the location in pickup trucks. The winch on one vehicle was rigged to a tree and a backhoe was brought to the scene from a nearby farm, but crewmembers were able to dig out enough mud to free the man after approximately 30 minutes.
He was secured to a backboard, carried up the embankment, and was transported out through a field to a waiting Fire-Rescue ambulance, and taken to Colleton Medical Center for further treatment.
Additional heavy equipment from a farm was brought to the scene to recover the tractor. Once the tractor was pulled up the embankment and the fluids were checked, the tractor was started and driven back to the farm.
