WARNING:
Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments. Don’t mow near a pond. The first 6 to 10 feet of turf by the water’s edge is water-logged and your mower will sink in and tip over.
SHELDON, IA—A 66-year-old Sheldon man was killed in an accident at the Sheldon Golf & Country Club on Monday morning, Sept. 18.
Dean Seivert, who worked as a maintenance man at the privately owned course, died after the John Deere 2500E riding greens mower he was operating went into the Floyd River, which winds through the course, at the eighth green.
Seivert was working on the course on a gray morning, with a slight rain. Since it is late in the season, few golfers were out.
Sheldon police, the Sheldon Fire Co. and the Sheldon Community Ambulance Team responded to the course, located north of Sheldon, around 9:30 a.m.
According to the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Department, Seivert was “pinned under the machine.” A fellow employee attempted to keep his head above the water.
Emergency responders were able to free Seivert and he was rushed to Sanford Sheldon Medical Center, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead.
A sheriff’s department staffer said she was not sure if an autopsy would be performed or if there would be an investigation to determine the cause of death.
At least two golfers were at the course Monday morning, but the clubhouse at 3040 Next Ave. was locked up after the fatal accident. The course did remain open, however, and was open on Tuesday morning.
The golf course board of directors were “deeply saddened” by Seivert’s death, according to board member Joel Bousema. Seivert was an “avid golfer” who also worked at the course at times for several years, Bousema said.
He said Seivert was “just all-around great guy, friendly, outgoing. Always cheerful. This is a tragic accident and we express our deepest sympathies to the Seivert family.”
Funeral arrangements will be handled by Vander Ploeg Funeral Home in Sheldon.
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Worker dies in lawn mower rollover at Sheldon Golf & Country Club
By Al Joens, Anchor
September 19, 2017
A tragic accident has claimed the life of a worker at the Sheldon, Iowa Country Club
SHELDON, Iowa (KTIV) -
A tragic accident has claimed the life of a worker at the Sheldon, Iowa Country Club.
The O'Brien County Sheriff's Office says 66-year-old Dean Seivert of Sheldon died after being pinned under a riding lawn mower that rolled onto its side into the Floyd River.
A country club worker came upon the accident scene shortly before 9:30 Monday morning.
That worker tried to hold Seivert's head out of the water.
When first responders arrived, they freed Seivert from the river, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
He was pronounced dead at the Sheldon Hospital.
Sheldon Golf And Country Club in Sheldon provides 9 holes of challenging golf for the beginning golfer, as well as the low handicapper
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Sheldon, IA (KICD) — An equipment rollover at the Sheldon Golf & Country Club has claimed a life of a Sheldon man.
On Monday morning, Sheldon Police, Fire Company and Ambulance Crew responded to the incident. 66-year old Dean Seivert was operating a low slung tractor at the eighth hole of the course. The unit then rolled into the Floyd River, pinning him underneath.
A country club employee had found the unit and Seivert, and went into the water to try to hold Seivert’s head above the water. First responders then freed Seivert from the water, and transported him to the Sheldon Hospital. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and Seivert passed away.
It was determined that he apparently was in the water for some time before being noticed.
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SHELDON, Iowa | Authorities have identified the victim of Monday's fatal accident at the Sheldon Golf & Country Club.
Dean Seivert, 66, of Sheldon, was killed after a lawn tractor overturned and trapped him in the Floyd River, according to the O'Brien County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office was notified at 9:27 a.m. that Seivert, an employee at the golf course, had been found trapped beneath the John Deere riding mower. A co-worker found Seivert and was attempting to hold his head above the water.
Emergency personnel were able to free Seivert from the water and transported him to Sheldon Hospital. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
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Be Safe:
- On steep slopes, GO SLOW.
- Side hill mowing, watch the front uphill tire to verify it’s making a solid depression in the grass. If it isn’t, SLOWLY turn downhill.
- Alway have an escape route when in rough ground so if the machine kicks out of gear or the brakes fail or both you can steer to safety.
- Keep the brakes properly adjusted and maintained.
- Be very, very aware that going up a steep slope how quick and easily a tractor will flip back on you. If the front end does come up, the rear wheels provide the motive force to flip it back.
- Generally speaking brakes are for stopping, NOT slowing down in tractor usage, that’s what the trans is for. If you step on the left pedal you set the parking brake and the rear wheels will lock. In most cases this will not hold you on the hill, instead you will slide down the hill.
- The “GO SLOW” mentioned above means regulate your speed with the transmission. Choose a lower or lowest gear, with a hydro do the same, keep the RPM’s (engine speed) up.
Can a tractor mow this hill? NO!
- If you cannot back up the slope or if you feel uneasy on it, do not mow it with a ride-on machine.
- Mow up and down slopes with a lawn tractor, not across.
- Watch for holes, ruts, bumps, rocks or other hidden objects. Uneven terrain could overturn the machine.
- Choose a low ground speed so you will not have to stop or shift while on a slope.
- Do not mow on wet or damp grass. Tires may lose traction.
- Do not mow on drought-dry grass. Tires will lose traction.
- Always keep the machine in gear when going down slopes. Do not shift to neutral and coast downhill.
- Avoid starting, stopping or turning on a slope.
- Keep all movement on slopes slow and gradual.
- Use extra care while operating the machine with grass catchers or other attachments; they affect the stability of the machine. Do not use them on steep slopes.
- Do not try to stabilize the machine by putting your foot on the ground.
- Do not mow near drop-offs, ditches or embankments.
If you have a Walk Out Basement the angle is too steep to mow side to side or up hill. Mow down the hill, drive around to the top of the slope and mow down. Yes, you may have to drive around the house a dozen times to do this, but it is the only way. Never attempt to mow or drive up the hill
Don’t even consider using a rear mounted bagger on hills. On both tractors and zero-turns that makes them too heavy in the rear.
Don’t even consider a leaf/lawn vac on slopes. The transmissions in lawn tractors are not heavy enough and you will destroy the trans. On garden tractor there may be too much weight on the rear hitch. Blow the leaves to the bottom of the hill with a hand held blower or back pack blower, then pick them up with your vac.
Tip-over from water logged turf
Follow the rules in your operator’s manual. But remember, an unseen hole on the down-slope or a bump or stick of wood on the uphill side can increase your slope quickly and cause an accident.
Seatbelts and ROPs won’t save you if there is waterWhat is available today For the Homeowner:
Notice the dual wheels on the ATV?
The ATV is out of the water logged turf
Acrease Wing and Rough-Cut Mowers: Acrease Mowers are able to mow slopes. They use full pressure engines on the commercial models that won’t blow up on slopes greater than 15 degrees. Be aware these mowers are heavy and you will need a heavy tractor to pull them. I actually used 2 in tandem to mow a 10 foot road ditch
(Swisher
T-60 Trailmower 14.5hp. is only designed for 15 degree slopes. The
engines are splash lubricated and will blow up on slopes greater than 15
degrees.)Craftsman 4WD walk-behind. Craftsman will have a 4WD walk-behind for 2014.
Husqvarna:
Walk-Behind Husqvarna HU800AWD All Wheel Drive
Husqvarna Rider: Husqvarna R322T AWD
There are a few tractors with rear differential lock that give you better traction going up and down slopes, but they are still only rated for 15 degrees.
There are other mowers that will handle slopes but all of them are commercial rated. Standon Mowers, 60 inches and larger like the Wright Stander are capable of mowing greater than 15 degrees. Toro Walk-Behind commercial mowers with the T-Bar steering also work well. Of course there are the dedicated slope mowers like the KutKwick and the new robotic mowers.
Final Thoughts
Many people don’t read the operator’s manual or feel these warning statements are “just guidelines.” Even staying under 15 degrees there are still ways to tip your lawn tractor or zero-turn over. Mowing commercially for many years I have had too many close calls and I still use my “Pucker-meter” all the time. The seat of your pants is the best gauge – really. It is a long, slow, careful learning experience. You have to get to know your machine and how to best approach various terrian. Going slow and low is always good.If is feels wrong, if the hill feels too steep, if the tractor doesn’t feel right, I don’t mow it.
(This Last From Consumer Reports)
What we tested, what we found. We compared several zero-turn-radius riding mowers marketed to consumers with a lawn tractor on slopes ranging from roughly 5 to 20 degrees. We used a typical 4.5 mph mowing speed over both dry and wet grass, going up and down as you should with most ride-on machines. So far, so good.The trouble began when we made a hard turn down 10- to 15-degree slopes. The zero-turn riders lost most of their steering control, skidding straight into our simulated hazards. All could stop in time when the brake was applied, though stopping entails manipulating two levers that also do the steering. That’s less intuitive than a tractor’s foot brake. And while the zero-turn models steered controllably at slower speeds, time savings is a major selling point for zero-turn machines.
The rollover risk
Rollovers are another concern with all ride-on mowers, contributing to
the more than 15,000 injuries and 61 deaths associated with those
machines for 2007, according to estimates based on CPSC data. Commercial
tractors and riding mowers often include a roll bar, called a rollover
protective structure (ROPS), and a safety belt. Both are supposed to
work together to protect and confine the operator if there’s a rollover.
But even that approach leaves lots of room for error.- Choose a front-steering tractor over a zero-turn-radius rider if you’re mowing slopes 10 to 15 degrees or greater. (A 10-degree slope rises roughly 20 inches over every 10 feet.) If you already own a zero-turn-radius riding mower, be sure to mow slowly on hills. And mow only on dry grass to maximize traction.
- Give yourself time to learn the controls on any ride-on mower, especially a zero-turn mower’s levers for steering and speed.
- Mow straight up and down slopes with a tractor or rider unless the manual says otherwise. And mow side-to-side with walk-behind mowers, start at the bottom and work up-hill. Always turn uphill.