‘Thank you for being the mother of my children’: Farmer’s heartbreaking ‘final call’ to his wife after his legs got trapped in the blades of a grain machine
- Gavin Boekel fell into a grain machine, while working on his family farm
- The skin on his left leg was torn off and his right leg suffered severe injuries
- The father-of-five called his wife and told her he was prepared to say goodbye
- He had also fractured seven vertebrae and fractured his pelvis in the incident
A farmer’s wife has revealed what she feared was her husband’s ‘final call’ after his legs were trapped by the blades of a grain machine.
Gavin Boekel was working on his Coleyville family farm in southeast Queensland on May 14 when the horror accident occurred. One leg was ‘hacked to pieces’ and the skin under his shin was torn off.
The father-of-five was preparing to say goodbye to his wife and children as he bled profusely and the blades he was trapped next to were about to rip through his stomach.
A farmer’s devastated wife has recalled her husband’s final call to her after his legs were ripped by the blades of a grain machine (pictured right with family)
Gavin Boekel’s left leg was amputated after the skin under his shin was torn off and his right leg suffered severe injuries
‘He said ”I’m stuck, I love you – thank you for being the mother of my children”,’ Rachelle Boekel told the Gatton Star.
Mr Boekel, who was stuck in the grain auger for four-and-a-half hours, also suffered seven fractured vertebrae and a broken pelvis.
He was rescued by firemen, police and emergency paramedics who airlifted him to the intensive care unit at the Prince Alexandria Hospital.
Sadly, his left leg had to be amputated following 19 hours of surgery.
Mr Boekel is still in hospital in a critical condition and remains on life support. He may not return home for months.
The father-of-five was prepared to say goodbye to his wife and kids as he bled profusely and was even stuck next to blades about to rip through his stomach
Mr Boekel also suffered seven fractured vertebrae and a broken pelvis and was stuck among the machine with massive blades for four-and-a-half hours
The family have to travel two hours from their home to visit their father in the hospital, and Mrs Boekel said she ‘spent more time in traffic’ than she has being with her husband.
A heartbroken Mrs Boekel said it was the first time their kids weren’t able to see their father on his birthday.
GRAIN AUGER ACCIDENTS
A grain auger
While a grain auger may not look that dangerous, there have been many reports of incidents that have left farmers without limbs.
Just this month a US farmer had to use a pocket knife to amputate his leg after he stepped on the opening of the augur and his limb was sucked inside.
‘My husband and father of 5 beautiful kids didn’t come home on his birthday to see his five children get his birthday present or cut the cake,’ the mother shared on Facebook.
She has said her children had been heavily affected by the horrific accident.
‘It breaks my heart to see my kids’ hearts get destroyed, our youngest girl is four years old,’ Mrs Boekel wrote on Facebook.
She said Mr Boekel has tried to stay optimistic despite the horrific incident.
‘He’s so brave – he’s smiling to everyone,’ she said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family raise funds to move closer to Mr Boekel.
‘Gavin is so brave he is fighting his heart out he is so strong. We love him so much,’ Mrs Boekel wrote.
Mr Boekel was trapped in a grain auger much like this one
The family have to travel two hours from their home to hospital to visit their father
A heartbroken Mrs Boekel shared it was the first time their kids weren’t able to visit their father on his birthday