A three-and-a-half-year-old boy whose legs were run over by an industrial lawnmower Saturday near Cary remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, police and fire officials said.
The Cary Fire Protection District responded to the 28700 block of West Kristy Lane for a reported traumatic injury involving a child at 12:41 p.m. Saturday, said Cary Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha.
Paramedics arrived at the residence and located the young child, who had been run over by an industrial-style lawnmower, resulting in a serious lower extremity injury, Vucha said.
Before the arrival of emergency crews, a neighbor had applied a makeshift tourniquet to help control the bleeding, Vucha said.
Paramedics immediately continued lifesaving treatment and loaded the child into an awaiting ambulance, Vucha said.
Lake County Sheriff’s Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said the preliminary investigation shows the boy was riding with a family member on the lawnmower that requires operators to be in a standing position.
Police believe the child was initially standing on the machine in front of the operator, and the operator was backing the machine up when the child either jumped or fell off, Covelli said.
Covelli said the family member then backed over the child’s legs with the mower deck, causing major injuries.
A neighbor who arrived on the scene before medical personnel used a shirt to create a makeshift tourniquet above the child’s wounds to help stop the bleeding, Covelli said.
The boy was transported by ground to the Mercyhealth Hospital – Crystal Lake helipad, where a medical helicopter was waiting, Vucha said.
The child was then airlifted to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Illinois, in critical condition, Vucha said.
Covelli said the boy was listed in critical but stable condition at the hospital Sunday morning.
Based on the scene investigation, Covelli said the incident appears to be a tragic accident. He said the “thoughts and prayers of everyone are with the child and his family during this very difficult time.”
“We want to remind the community that lawn mowers are powerful machines. They can be extremely dangerous and, in some cases, deadly,” Covelli said. “Children should never ride on them, whether operating or as a passenger with an adult. This heartbreaking incident underscores the importance of keeping children away from mowers at all times.”