HARVARD, ILLINOIS – An elderly man was critically injured and airlifted to a hospital Sunday afternoon after he was trapped under a flipped tractor in a body of water near Bunker Hill and Island Roads in unincorporated McHenry County, northwest of Chicago.
According to the Harvard Fire Protection District, first responders were dispatched around 2:47 p.m. to the remote, rural site, where they found the man submerged in a creek, with only his head visible above the waterline.
The area was difficult to access, with no paved roads and rough terrain. Crews had to haul rescue equipment more than a mile using pickup trucks and off-road utility vehicles, officials said.
Trapped for Nearly Three Hours Before Rescue
Emergency responders believe the man had been trapped under the overturned tractor for nearly three hours before he was discovered by family members.
Once on scene, crews used chains and a heavy-duty front loader to lift the tractor just enough to free the man. The rescue operation took approximately 25 minutes after arrival.
He had been exposed to water for an extended time, which, combined with the severity of his injuries and his age, led to the decision to airlift him via Med Flight from the University of Wisconsin Health system to OSF St. Anthony Medical Center.
The full rescue effort and incident were reported by CBS Chicago.
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