Putnam, Conn. – A man was injured while attempting to clear a downed tree,likely debris from the recent storm, from the lawn of the Matulaitis Rehabilitation with a tractor Wednesday morning.
At 11:38 a.m. on Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 members of the East Putnam Fire Department, along with Putnam EMS and a QV Medic, were dispatched to 10 Thurber Rd, Matulaitis Rehabilitation, for reports of a person pinned under a tractor. While en route the paramedic requested a helicopter to Day Kimball Hospital as a precaution.
On arrival, firefighters found the man in the operator’s seat of the tractor with the tree lying across him but not mechanically entrapping him. Crews assisted the man out of the seat under his own power to be evaluated by Putnam EMS and a QV Medic. Upon evaluation of the man’s injuries, it was quickly determined that the helicopter would not be needed, and it was canceled before arriving at the landing zone. He was then transported at the Advanced Life Support (ALS) (with a paramedic onboard) level to Day Kimball Hospital to be evaluated for possible internal injuries.
Agencies that responded, or were dispatched, included: the East Putnam Fire Department, Putnam EMS, KB Ambulance’s QV Medic, and Hartford Healthcare LIFE STAR.