Corvallis, Ore. — Corvallis Police officers are investigating an incident that left a 7-year-old boy severely injured.
The Corvallis Police Department said on April 3, first responders arrived at an address in the 1500 block of Southeast Bethel Avenue after an incident involving a lawn mower and a child.
According to Police, a man was operating a riding lawn mower with his 7-year-old son on his lap.
The child reportedly fell off the lawn mower and into the mower blade, causing severe injuries to his leg.
The child was taken to a local hospital before being transported to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland for treatment.
The Corvallis Police Department is investigating the incident.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Division, cases like this are not unusual. Data indicates an estimated 12,000 children in the U.S. were injured by lawn mowers in 2015.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons wrote, “Although mowing the lawn may seem a routine chore, both push and riding lawn mowers are powerful machines with the potential to cause severe and life threatening injuries. Contact with the moving blades or the engine can result in a wide range of injuries, including burns, broken bones, and even amputation of limbs.”
The AAOS recommends children be at least age 12 before operating a push mower, and age 16 before using a riding lawn mower.
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