CARNDUFF — Carl Lang, a resident of Carnduff, learned the hard way that working on the farm comes with its dangers.
On April 6, Carl and his family were enjoying a dinner with his father Gary at the family farm south of the town. He helps his elderly father with the running of the farm.
As dinner came to an end, Carl felt he should round up the cattle and put them into their corral, something he has done hundreds of times. That morning, three coyotes had been spotted and shot, so corralling the cattle was vital.
Most of the animals, including cows with calves, were pretty co-operative. Carl came across one that was licking its calf as it lay on the ground. Apparently, he got too close for the mother's comfort and before he knew it, she had jumped over her calf, charged him and dislocated his hip, shattering the socket. Carl was thrown to the ground, as was his phone some distance away.
The cow was not finished with him. She rammed her head into Carl's back and pushed him along the ground for about 15 feet. Although he was conscious all this time, Carl was unable to move and his phone was out of reach.
His daughter Victoria had started heading back home by this time, but she had an uneasy feeling about her father. She called her mother Lynette back at the farm to express her worries. Lynette called Carl but to no avail. She hopped into the truck and drove out to where he was supposed to be and found him in the midst of several bovine onlookers.
She asked him if he was OK and he said he was, other than the pain from his hip. She then called 911 and within 15 minutes, the volunteer first responders had arrived. Shortly after, others, including EMS with their ambulance, were on the scene. In all, over 10 people arrived, including neighbours, to provide assistance.
Carl was given a neck brace, placed on a body board and then transported to Oxbow’s Galloway Centre, where he was met by Dr. Nic Botha, his staff and Oxbow’s volunteer firefighters. Shortly after that, he was on his way to Regina via the STARS Air Ambulance helicopter.
After a complete examination, it was discovered Carl had suffered multiple injuries – a shattered and dislocated hip, 12 broken ribs, a broken shoulder blade and a cracked vertebra.
The day after arriving in Regina, Carl underwent surgery to ‘undislocate’ his hip. The ball at the top of the hip bone had been pushed through the socket and it had to be pulled back into place. Three days later, further surgery was required on his hip to repair the damage that had been incurred.
Five days later, Carl was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Estevan, where the rehabilitation began to take place. Finally, 44 days after the accident, he returned home.
It’s going to be a long recovery. He has to wait three weeks before putting any weight on his leg. Then it will be a month of additional rehab to regain the strength in his leg and learn how to walk again. The complete recovery may take up to a year-and-a-half.
The Carnduff & District Lions Club has provided a ramp up to the Langs' front door to make entering and exiting his home possible. Not only does this help Carl, but it has become a playground of sorts for his granddaughter, Vivian.
Carl and his family are thankful that, as bad as it was, it wasn’t any worse. There are many farmers and ranchers who don’t live to talk about their workplace accidents.
He has lots of opportunity to sit and think about that fateful day in April. He is very thankful for his community. As a member of the Lions, he has supported them as well as other causes in town, such as the firefighters and ambulance service. Little did he realize that one day, he would be the beneficiary of their services.
Carl is grateful for neighbours who helped him out that day, as well as family, including his son Matthew who is at home all day with him, and friends who have helped and encouraged him.
