Sunny View children called heroes after helping woman trapped under tractor
Published 3:08 pm Thursday, April 17, 2008
According to Rusti Osvath of Grassy Knob Road in the Sunny View Community, last Monday just before 7 p.m. she was grading her driveway on a new farm tractor she had just picked up that afternoon when it flipped over and trapped her underneath.
Luckily, five-year-old Daniel Ruff was nearby and ran to his house to tell his mother, who called 911. Daniel&squo;s 13-year-old sister, Katie, immediately ran outside and began digging Osvath&squo;s arm out from underneath the tractor and Daniel helped direct emergency vehicles into the driveway.
&dquo;He was so mature when he came in to tell me,&dquo; says the children&squo;s mom, Alice Ruff. &dquo;They were both so calm. I&squo;m so proud of them.&dquo;
Osvath, 60, said if it hadn&squo;t been for the Ruff children, she could have died. Within seven minutes, Osvath said, about 60 people were there to help save her.
Osvath said she doesn&squo;t know what would have happened if all the people who helped her hadn&squo;t been there. She escaped the accident with heavy bruising.
&dquo;To all the wonderful &squo;guardian angels&squo; that were at my farm Monday, April 7, 2008, I wish to thank you all for the team effort to free me from the tractor without major injury to myself,&dquo; Osvath says.
Helpers included Daniel, Katie, Alice and Donnie Ruff, the Polk County Emergency Services, the Polk County Sheriff&squo;s Department, many volunteers, the emergency room staff at St. Luke&squo;s Hospital and neighbors and friends who live close to Osvath on Grassy Knob Road.
&dquo;You truly all saved my arm if not my life,&dquo; Osvath said. &dquo;May you all be blessed as you&squo;ve blessed my life.&dquo;
A helicopter was called to the scene, but was not needed as she was transported to St. Luke&squo;s Hospital.
Polk County Sheriff Chris Abril plans to give the Ruff children commendations for their heroism during an upcoming county commissioner meeting.