FNN Article Thursday, April 16, 2026. Images above are by Crary Hose Company © April 14, 2026.
WESTFIELD, PA – On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, around 9:11 AM, Westfield Police, Crary Hose Company, Knoxville-Deerfield Volunteer Fire Company, Clymer Township Volunteer Hose Company, Wellsboro medics and Sabinsville Ambulance responded to an accident where a male was reported trapped inside a Bobcat skid-steer.
The incident occurred in the 470 block of California Road in Westfield Township. Westfield Fire Chief immediately requested a rescue unit from Harrison Valley Volunteer Fire Company and Woodhull Fire Department’s Heavy Rescue. Also a medical helicopter was put on standby.
Fire personnel arrived on scene around 9:18 AM and Crary Hose Fire Chief arrived at 9:20 AM, where they found a male in his 50’s trapped and pinned inside a Bobcat skid steer by a backhoe attachment. The incident occurred when the backhoe attachment was being lifted off a flatbed trailer by the skid steer operator. The attachment slipped and a section of it entered the skid steer, striking the operator’s upper body and pinning him inside the Bobcat.
Images above are by Crary Hose Company © April 14, 2026.
Once command was set up, White’s Towing was requested to respond with their Rotator unit to help on scene so firefighters could work to free the victim.
All fire units were staged along California Road and the road was closed down around 9:20 AM.
A minute later a rescue unit with a crew from the Elkland Fire Department and an engine with a crew from Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Company were dispatched to set up a landing zone for Mercy-Flight medical helicopter. The landing zone would be set up at Electri-Cord located at 312 E. Main Street in Westfield, PA. Mercy-Flight was airborne around 9:27 AM.
By 9:30 AM White’s Towing Rotator unit arrived at the incident to assist with the rescue.
According to Crary Hose Fire Chief, fire crews used straps and cribbing to stabilize the attachment. Once everything was secured firefighters were able to cut the safety bar of the Bobcat with a Homatro Cutter once that was completed they were able to free the victim.
The victim was extricated by 9:33 AM and loaded into the ambulance. At that same time, all fire units not on scene were able to be recalled, with the exception of the units responding to the landing zone.
Sabinsville Ambulance 26-7 crew was joined by Wellsboro medics and the injured patient was then transported to the landing zone that was established at Electri-Cord.
Westfield Police were headed back to their patrol by 10:01 AM and California Road was reopened to traffic as all fire crews were able to return back to their stations.
Mercy-Flight helicopter was airborne with their patient by 10:17 AM as they headed to a trauma unit.
The entire rescue only took firefighters 15 minutes to complete once fire personnel arrived on scene. The quickness in response time and well trained crews shows how professional local firefighters are when it comes to emergencies. Remember to support your local fire and ambulance department in 2026. They are always there for you, so be there for them. Great job by everyone who assisted in this rescue.
If FNN receives any updates on the victim of this accident, it will be added to this article.
Image above by Knoxville-Deerfield Volunteer Fire Company ©April 14, 2026.
