Deputies honored for saving a man pinned under tractor
Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood honored Deputies Darren Ladd and Robert Marriott July 20, 2020, with Divisional Commendations.
On July 6, 2020, Madison County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the area of 5300 Oxbow Road, Smithfield, for someone yelling for help from a nearby wooded area.
Upon the arrival, deputies located located a man pinned beneath a lawn tractor in the Oneida Creek yelling for assistance; Ladd and Marriott immediately entered the waterway to assist assisted the man, who was struggling to keep his head above the water.
Along with additional first-responders, Ladd was able to lift the lawn tractor off of the victim, while Marriott supported the victim’s upper body and head. Once freed, the victim was assisted out of the water and turned over to medical personnel.
The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Smithfield Fire Department, SEVAC Ambulance, and the New York State Police Trooper Wetzel.
The man rescued from the water reported he had been mowing when the lawn tractor he was operating slid down the embankment and rolled into the creek, trapping him for 30 to 45 minutes before deputies arrived; he suffered minor injuries.