Staff Report
WOODLEAF ó A 3-year-old boy on Messick Road was seriously injured Friday evening when a lawn mower backed over his right foot.
Chief Artie Watson of the Woodleaf Fire Department said the driver of the lawn mower did not realize the boy was behind him when he began to back up. “It was just very tragic,” he said.
The boy’s right foot was partially amputated in the accident, Watson said. His identity was not available at presstime.
The call at 275 Messick Road came in at 6:48 p.m., according to John Sharp, shift supervisor for Rowan County EMS.
Woodleaf Fire Department Medical Responder personnel responded to the scene along with Rowan County EMS.
Rescue personnel had requested a helicopter to fly the boy to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, but the helicopter from the Winston-Salem medical center was in use and a helicopter from a Charlotte medical center was unavailable due to inclement weather.
Sharp said Rowan EMS transported the boy to Baptist by ambulance.
Contact Kathy Chaffin at 704-797-4249 or kchaffin@salisburypost.com.