Fire officials say a man was seriously injured and had to be flown to the hospital after a horse fell onto him at a rural property near Marengo Friday afternoon.
The Harvard Fire Protection District responded around 1:45 p.m. Friday to the 500 block of Busse Road in unincorporated Marengo for a report of a traumatic injury call.
Emergency crews were advised while responding that a horse had fallen onto an adult male, according to Harvard Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha.
The victim was not trapped but had suffered a serious leg injury.
Firefighters and paramedics arrived and began immediate care on the man, Vucha said.
The exact circumstances surrounding how the accident occurred were not clear but the horse was uninjured.
“Given the nature of the injury and the need for advanced trauma care, a medical helicopter was requested,” Vucha said.
The victim was transported by ambulance to the helipad at Mercyhealth Hospital and Medical Center in Harvard.
He was then airlifted by a UW Health Med Flight helicopter to OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, a Level 1 trauma center in Rockford, for further treatment.
“The Harvard Fire Protection District commends the work of responding crews for their quick actions and efficient care during the incident,” Vucha said.
The district said they were assisted by the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District and the Marengo Fire & Rescue District in responding to additional calls throughout the area during the incident.