Contractor lucky to be alive - mower blade lands in tractor

A farm contractor from Ballymena in County Antrim has had a lucky escape while mowing grass after a blade flew off the mower and smashed the back window of the tractor.

Philip Dickey, 24, had almost finished the field and was mowing the centre when the mower hit a stone. All of a sudden the back window came in round Philip and a mower blade landed beside him in the cab on top of the tool box.

The young farmer, reeling from his experience, has urged all tractor drivers to keep the back window closed at all times, especially when mowing.

He said: “I'm a lucky boy. I've always kept the back window shut when mowing but some drivers don't.

“This incident just proves how a closed window can save your life or save you from a serious head injury.

“I hit a stone in the centre of a field, yes the centre, and a blade come flying through the window and smashed the window.

"It is possible with the wet weather that stones do rise up, and unfortunately there was a stone that had risen up and the mower caught it.

“The blade landed on the toolbox lid beside me. If the window had been open, who knows where it could have went; my head, back or anywhere.

“Let that be a lesson to all farmers and contractors, keep the back window shut when mowing at all times.”