A 21-year-old man has died following a workplace injury involving a lawnmower, a source with the Town of Drayton Valley told Global News on Thursday evening.
They did not provide details about what happened but said the lawnmower ended up in a pond.
A spokesperson with Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) confirmed it was investigating the death. According to OHS, the man was injured while operating a “ride-on lawnmower” before he was airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton where he was pronounced dead.
An official with the Drayton Valley Fire Department told Global News crews were called to respond to a workplace injury in the east end of Drayton Valley at about 9 a.m. Thursday but did not provide further details.
On Friday, Mayor Glenn McLean said the town was fully cooperating with the OHS investigation and was waiting for the results.
He said the death was hitting everyone hard.
“Council and I — and in fact the entire Town of Drayton Valley — want to extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of the deceased,” McLean said.
“As you can imagine in a small community like ours, you don’t have to go very far to find somebody who is deeply and personally very much affected by an incident like this.”
McLean also said counselling services are being made available for town employees impacted.
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Drayton Valley is located about 140 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.