A 3-year-old boy in Illinois was left in critical condition after being run over by an “industrial-style lawnmower” on Saturday, Aug. 30, according to local police.
At about 12:40 p.m., the Cary Fire Protection District responded to the 28700 block of West Kristy Lane after receiving a call about a “traumatic injury involving a child,” the department said in a press release shared with PEOPLE.
Paramedics discovered that the boy had been “run over by an industrial-style lawnmower,” suffering a serious leg injury, according to the release.
Before help arrived, a neighbor tied a makeshift tourniquet to slow the bleeding. Paramedics then continued life-saving efforts and rushed the boy to an ambulance, CBS News Chicago reported.
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He was first taken to a local hospital’s helipad, then flown by medical helicopter to Loyola University Medical Center in critical condition, the release said.
As of Sunday, Aug. 31, he remained in an ICU in Chicago, where doctors stabilized him, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, per CBS News Chicago.
Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE that the case appeared to be a “tragic accident.”
Covelli explained that the boy was riding the mower with his father. The mower is designed for operators to stand while using it.
“We believe the child was in front of the operator,” Covelli said. “The operator began to reverse, and the child either fell or jumped off. Sadly, the mower rolled over one of the child’s legs, causing major injuries.”
Covelli added, “We want to remind the community that lawn mowers are powerful machines. They can be extremely dangerous and, in some cases, even deadly. Children should never ride on them, whether they are driving or riding with an adult. This heartbreaking accident shows why children must be kept away from mowers at all times.”
