May 28, 2010
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Musings
Yesterday when I came home from work my son Jason met me at the car with a request for prayer for the son of a good friend. He had been baling hay and his hair had gotten caught in the PTO of the baler. When Jason said those words I was plunged into the horror and fear that that family was feeling just the same as if it had been my son who was suffering.
It’s something that every farm family dreads. You hear stories of it all the time and unless you have worked on a farm or know anything about the danger that goes along with farming you haven’t any idea the chill that wraps around the heart of those who know the real horror of a farm accident.
I spoke with this young boy’s father last night. I called to find out if there was anything that they needed us to do for them. We already had plans to take food up to the house and to see what chores if any we could help with but you still have to call, the biggest thing is to give them the chance to talk it out with someone who knows.
Apparently the young man had had trouble with the baler and had shut it off the three times before, but in all the other cases that I have heard of, that final time he thought that he could take care of the problem without turning it off that one last time. There is nothing so awful or dangerous than the spinning PTO shaft of a piece of farm equipment. The man who invented that bit of technology was a genius and a demon. The boy leaned in to do whatever it was that he had to do and it grabbed him and that was the end. He had the presence of mind and, thanks be to God, the time and ability to grab his cell phone from his pocket and call his dad. He told his dad he was in trouble, that he needed him and that he loved him.
Let me caution everyone who has never been on a farm. There is danger everywhere. Let me caution everyone who works on a farm. Turn it off everytime. You can never be faster than that spinning shaft. I have heard of those things tearing whole limbs off. If the problem caused the PTO to stop you can bet that when you pull out whatever is plugging it it will start up. Shut it off. Shut off the tractor. Never turn your back on one of those things ’cause I swear they will reach out and grab you and pull you in.
‘Nuff said. Please pray for this boy and his family. His healing is going to take a long time.
Comments (10)
I am praying. We read about that in our newspaper every once in awhile. A terrible thing!
He and his family will be in my prayers. I have no idea what a PTO shaft is, but by your description, I’d want to steer clear of it even while not in use!
Lots of prayers. If there is anything else we can do, please let me know. Please keep us posted on how he’s doing.
Prayers for the whole family! What a horrible thing to happen! Thank goodness he could call for help!
@whteroses - If you have ever seen farm equipment running on the back of a tractor, the PTO is the long shaft that connects the implement to the tractor and spins at a very high rate of speed when it is engaged. It is what takes the round and round motion of the engine and changes it to whatever motion is required to do the job. For instance making a hay bine’s cutter bar go back and forth. They are indeed very dangerous but only when the tractor is running and they are engaged.
How horrible. I am praying.
I can’t imagine how he even was able to call unless by some miracle the shaft stopped running. Just makes me shudder. Man in our community had both hands cut off in a baler because he didn’t turn it off.
That’s scary stuff — and something those of us who are not familiar with farms don’t have a clue about. May God grant them strength and comfort.
@TheSunnyC - The belt on the thrower burned out. For a change thank God that it was old and about to go anyway.
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