Workers pinned by ½-ton bales

One airlifted to Wichita hospital

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Peabody firefighters had to rescue two men trapped under round bales that fell off the back of a flatbed semi Friday afternoon.

The men were loading bales too high onto the trailer, Peabody fire chief Colton Glenn said.

Straps on the bales were incorrectly attached, and the entire load rolled to the ground, rolling over the two men beneath them.

“Luckily, they were corn stock bales,” Glenn said. “A group of the guys just pushed them off.”

Corn stock bales weigh about 800 to 1,200 pounds, Glenn said.

Douglas Frisbie, who was still trapped under a bale when police arrived, suffered injuries to his ankle and lower leg. Marion ambulance took him to NMC Health, formerly known as Newton Medical Center, where he was treated for a broken ankle and has been released, Police Chief Travis Wilson said.

Greg Hoffman, who had had the bale lifted off him before police arrived, was airlifted to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with injuries from his hip to his ankles, Wilson said.

Hillsboro ambulance took Hoffman to the Peabody High School field to await a helicopter ambulance. About 30 Peabody residents gathered at the football field to watch the helicopter land and lift off, Glenn said.

As of Tuesday, Hoffman remained at Wesley, Wilson said. He has had ankle surgery and was scheduled for surgery on his hip.

Both men work as regular employees for Baker Farm, Wilson said.

A third man at the scene was not injured because he was in the cab of the truck when the bales rolled off, Glenn said.

“It was definitely an odd call,” Glenn said. “It originally came across the radio that it was a bale fire, but then it became that the bales were not on fire.”