Ontario boy crushed by falling hay bale on farm
Twelve-year-old who ‘always had a smile’ was working with his brother in barn
A 12-year-old boy died Monday after he was hit by a falling hay bale in a barn, his father says.
Samuel Zehr was working with his 14-year-old brother in the barn, his father Jonathon Zehr told Postmedia News.
“Unfortunately we think a bale toppled from up above where he was working and crushed him,” Zehr said Tuesday as several family members looked on at the farm on Line 61 in the Township of Perth East.
Samuel’s brother was working on a different level of the barn than his brother. He returned home without realizing Samuel had been involved in an accident, Jonathan Zehr said.
“There’s really not communication there, he put the feed down, the other guy distributed it, and when the guy was done distributing it he came home and we’re like, ‘Well, where’s the other boy?’” Zehr said.
“And he didn’t know, so we went back to look for him, couldn’t find him. So then we went back and seen the bales had toppled, so we had to remove the bale off him.”
Zehr, who is a carpenter, said the incident took place around 7 p.m. Monday. Emergency responders arrived around 7:30 p.m. Police were on site until noon Tuesday.
OPP Const. Michael Melnychuk said investigators are working with the coroner’s office on the case.
He said he couldn’t release details because of the ongoing investigation.
Samuel Zehr was taken to hospital but couldn’t be revived.
Jonathan Zehr said the family was told by a coroner Samuel, who recently graduated from Grade 6 at a privately-run Amish school, died instantly. “No suffering,” Zehr said. The family — Samuel was the second-youngest of seven children — lives in a house near the barn that is leased from the owner. It’s a mixed hobby farm with cattle, goats and horses.
Less than 24 hours after the accident most of the family members were still in shock, said Zehr.
“Reality maybe hasn’t set in yet,” he said. “We’ve got lots of support in the community.”
Samuel will be remembered as a happy boy, his father said.
“Always had a smile,” he said. “Not too many boys giggle, but Sam would giggle. He was well-liked, will be missed.”