Fatal accident

Mühlviertler crushed by tractor during forest work

A 58-year-old forestry worker died in a forest in Liebenau on Saturday.

(Bild: laumat.at/Matthias Lauber)

Fatal drama in a forest in Liebenau! A 58-year-old forestry worker was buried by an overturning tractor. The cable winch had become jammed, causing the tractor to overturn. The man from Mühlviertel had no chance and was trapped under the vehicle. Unfortunately, it was already too late when colleagues rescued him. 

A chain of unfortunate circumstances may have been responsible for the 58-year-old's death. The man was doing woodwork in a forest near Liebenau on Saturday afternoon. 

Wedging
He wanted to use the cable winch attached to his tractor to pull a bundle of shrubs out of the forest. The man from Mühlviertel was standing to the right of the towing vehicle while operating the winch. Suddenly, the shrubs may have become wedged in a wooden stick. As a result, the tractor tipped to one side and buried the man underneath it. He was probably killed instantly.

Resuscitation attempts unsuccessful
Colleagues who became aware of the accident were able to lift the vehicle a little using a telescopic handler and rescue the 58-year-old. However, all attempts at resuscitation were unfortunately unsuccessful.