Selwyn Times: February 01, 2023

Selwyn Times Wednesday February 1 2023
4
NEWS
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Long recovery for 10-year-old after
• By Susan Sandys
A SOUTHBRIDGE boy faces
a slow recovery after being
seriously injured by a lawn
irrigator while playing at
Southbridge Domain.
The district council has removed
all of its travelling roto
rainer irrigators from operation
and is investigating the accident.
Ten-year-old Jayden sustained
a depressed skull fracture and
bleed on the brain after being hit
on his head by a rotating arm of
the machine.
He was visiting the domain
playground with his grandmother
Angela Slade and eightyear-old
cousin Emily.
Angela said the lunchtime visit
to the park suddenly became a
life-and-death situation after
Jayden was attracted to water
around the travelling roto-rainer
irrigator in hot weather. He was
struck as he stood up after slipping.
Angela said at first she had not
noticed Jayden had wandered
about 15m away to play under
the irrigator on an adjoining
rugby field. As she unpacked
food onto a picnic table, she
heard “a horrible, horrible
scream”.
“That’s when I turned around,
he was just getting back up again
and the bar nearly got him again,
I’m like ‘Get out, get out!’”
Angela said while she had earlier
pointed out to the children
a single caution sign nearby
saying ‘Potentially Dangerous
Equipment’, this had obviously
not been enough to keep Jayden
away.
She had phoned the district
council to tell them about the
accident, and staff removed the
irrigator from operation. It was
now parked up in bushes nearby.
Jayden was in extreme pain
after the accident and began
vomiting. He was taken to
Christchurch Hospital by ambulance.
Mum Sarah Whittaker said
doctors at first thought he had
severe concussion, but they were
as surprised as she was when a
CT scan showed a depressed skull
fracture and bleed on the brain.
Last week he had a craniotomy,
where a 10cm long piece of bone
from his forehead was removed
and replaced with a plate. He
may have to have more surgeries
to replace the plate as he grows.
He was discharged at the
weekend, and is expected to
make a full recovery. But that
recovery will be slow as he
suffers the head injury effects of
fatigue, headaches, irritability
and light sensitivity. He will
be at school only part-time
throughout term one.
SERIOUS INJURY: Jayden was taken
by ambulance to Christchurch Hospital
after being hit by the arm of a roto rainer
irrigator at Southbridge Domain. A scan
revealed a depressed skull fracture. The
district council has since parked up the
irrigator (below).
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