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by Conrad Peabody

My name is Conrad Peabody i was a blue berry farmer for 7 years.It was a chilly November morning in
the small town of Columbia Maine.I got up at 6 o clock just like i usually do,got dressed for work and had some coffee.It looked cold out so i put on more clothes than usuall.My job as a blueberry farmer required me to work outside all day so i would over dress expecting the worst.Today i am going to start running a burner which is an implement that is towed behind a tractor and works like a huge open furnace and burns all the old plants to make room for the new crop.The machine i was going to be using was powered by the tractor's pto via a driveshaft.This particular design was being replaced by motorized burners this one was one of the last pto powered machines.The day began like all others,i had been doing this job for the past 7 years or so.Usually i like burning but today i dredded doing it for some reason.Me and the other 5 workers met at the old barn which was are base of operations.My cousin Hermon was currently running the machine but i insisted that he run the water wagon and i do the burning today.The water wagon was used to keep the fire under control and is a very boring job,but Hermon dont mind running it so he agreed to trade jobs.We all arrived at the field, fueled up the burner and got to work.We all picked out an area and got to burning.We would always try to give each other room so we wouldnt be workin in each others smoke.I finished burning 1 tank of fuel and went to the fuel truck to get a second.After filling my burner i grabbed a quick snack then got back on my tractor and positioned it so that it would be easy to light.I hopped off the tractor and went back to the burner where i had to open a series off valves and levers to light it.I walked to the back of the tractor where i had left the wick rod.The wick rod was used to light the burner and you had to keep it out of the wind so it would stay lit.The wick rod was resting against the back of the tractor seat which was the usuall place i put it to light it.As i had done 1 million times before i leaned in on my left leg to reach for the wick rod.I remember the sound of clothes ripping and what i know now was the sound of bones and flesh being torn and broken.The tractor seemed louder than ever for that instant and then, complete silence.I opened my eyes and my face was litterally millimeters from my feet,i knew i was in big trouble.Blood was running down my pant leg and over my work boots,also it ran from somewhere on my head i didnt know where.I felt no pain,just tightness and i couldnt breathe.My first thought was "Jesus i dont want to die this way."Then i thought about my wife and son and knew that i couldnt die like this.The first person to help me was my co worker David Morse,i managed to tell him to please call my wife so i could talk to for it may be the last time i will.She was called along with lifeflight,the ambulance,and my boss's wife Theresa who immediatly got my wife and some first aid supplies and rushed to the field.While waiting for more help David got to work cutting me free from the shaft.The others were in a state of shock and could do little at the moment.David was a Vietnam vet and had seen this type of horror before so he pushed forward and concentrated on getting me freed.Soon after Theresa arrived and got straight to work helping David.At some point while they were getting me off the shaft David informed me that my left arm was torn from my body to this i said "well just get the rest of me off and ill deal with that later".Neither of these 2 people were trained for this type of injury but they handeled it like true proffesionals and to me they are heroes.Before they got me freed i had lost so much blood my vision had failed,but strangely i wasnt scared and i wasnt panicking somehow i felt at ease with the fact that i could die and i concentrated on staying consious and talking to the various emts and firemen that were now there.They finally got me free from the shaft and laid me down on my supervisors lap.We all called him Woody,he was a big man but he had a kind heart and i cant imagine his thoughts as i lay there dying in his lap.Everyone covered me up to protect me from the debris the helicopter was going to kick up upon landing.I could hear the chopper landing and various people talking and lugging me to the chopper on a back board.Finally i heard the voice i was waiting for,my wifes Melina.I had a million things i needed to tell her but time was something i did not have,she asked me if i was in pain and i told her my left leg felt twisted and un comfortable.Ialso told her i was sorry she had to go through this,i thought i was going to die.Somewhere deep inside me i found a place to go and hide from the pain and horror.Icannot describe this place but i was safe there.Iwoke up 1 week later and my first thoughts were that i couldnt walk ,this scared me but i was soon put at ease by the sight of my wife and parents who showed me my legs so that i knew they were still there.Hoses, wires and tubes seemed to be in me every where.That day my family informed me of my many injuries.My left arm was pulled off about 6 inches from my shoulder,my left knee and hip were both broke,my right arm was broke and dislocated and had almost been pulled off too.My lungs were both puncured and i had 4 broken ribs and my right collar bone was popped out of place.Ialso had a gash in my head that ran from my left temple down below my left ear which required 47 staples to close up.I was paralyzed from my injuries,and was also informed that i had indeed died twice while in the icu,i took enough blood for three people before they got the bleeding stopped.I had cheated death though and for this i am thankfull, it is going to be a long road but i will walk it and get to the end.It is now just 6 months after the accident and the fact that im writing this now tells you how im doing!There were tons of other feelings and sensations that i experienced through this but to write them all would be impossible.This happened November 17,2003.


conrad peabody