A FREAK gust of wind led to a 69-year-old farmer being crushed underneath a crutching trailer, on Harmans Road at Mount Napier on Saturday.

John Mellington suffered serious injuries to his ankle, hips, ribs, shoulder and arms, with deep gashes to his head.

Emergency services were called to the farming property at about 9am including Ambulance Victoria, two units from Hamilton Police and Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedics.

John’s daughter, Sarah Mellington-Smith, lives in Ohio in the United States and relayed information to The Spectator and said the day of crutching was planned as a family affair.

Her father John was working alongside sons, Jim and Bill, both from Hamilton, with Bill’s sons aged between seven and 16, who had travelled from Kerang for the day when the incident occurred.

Sarah said everything had been set up using safety protocols with the trailer set to go, the sheep penned in the portable yards, and John’s grandsons eager to help and keen to learn how to crutch.

“John noticed that there were some cables hanging in the way,” she said.

“He crawled under the trailer to cut the zip ties that held them in place so the boys could begin work.

“Just as (her father) crawled under the trailer, a freakish gust of wind literally lifted up the trailer, slamming it down on him, before toppling over, pinning him beneath it.”

John’s son, Bill, immediately dialed triple zero before working with his grandsons to lift the trailer to free him.

Sarah said the family immediately implemented safety procedures and measures to free her father from underneath the trailer.

Another of John’s sons, Jim, coordinated the emergency services and met them at Harmans Road to escort them through the property to where the incident occurred. 

She expressed how proud she was of her family, especially her four nephews; Zac, 16, Will, 15, Charlie, 9, and Ned, 7, who had been educated in safety and that despite all risk averse measures, freak accidents can still happen.

“These lads didn’t panic,” Sarah said.

“These guys followed all the ‘rules’ and a freak accident still occurred, highlighting just how dangerous and serious farming activities really are.

“They responded in such a brave, courageous and mature way, truly showing that if young farmers are given the opportunity to learn, to be involved, and to develop skills under supervision and with real-life application, there is great hope for our farming future!”

Sarah said when paramedics arrived, John was still pinned beneath the over-turned trailer.

“His sons and grandsons had to dismantle the roof to create room for the paramedics to work,” she said.

“The fact that these lads didn’t panic and were able to lift the massive trailer off their grandfather makes them absolute heroes.”

The youngest grandson, Ned, was asked a few hours later how he was after witnessing the ordeal and assisting.

“My back’s a bit sore, but oh geez ... it’s worth it cos we saved Papa!” he said.

Sarah said about another grandson - “Zac’s first aid training from his role in the Army Cadets made it easy for him to step up,” while his brother Will “used his muscles to drag his grandfather from beneath the trailer once his brothers lifted it up high enough”.

Following the accident, the grandsons all helped to clean up the scene with grandson Charlie finding “Papa’s favourite pocketknife” and was pleased to be able to return it.

Sarah said her family’s motto is “Faith, Family, Farming and Football” and that their response to the traumatic incident showed “the four grandsons lived up to it big time”.

John’s son, Jim, said on Monday morning that his father was recovering “surprisingly really well” at Hamilton Base Hospital.

“He’s a tough old buggar,” he said.

“Originally they thought (he had fractures) but after x-rays and everything all they found was a chipped bone from another accident about 40 years ago.”

Jim said his father incurred only cuts and bruising from the accident with a serious gash on the front and back of his head that was glued by medical staff in the Emergency Department at Hamilton Base Hospital.

Hamilton Police constable, Justin Longcor, confirmed two police units attended the scene.

“The victim’s sons (and grandsons) lifted the trailer off the gentleman,” he said.

“(Police) did an investigation - it appears the wind just blew the trailer onto him”.