A 10-year-old boy died following a farming accident near Killam, Alta., said an RCMP news release.
The accident occurred Nov. 21 at 11 a.m. when the young boy was driving a fork lift and the machine became unstable and tipped over.
“The boy suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene,” said RCMP.
The initial police investigation said the young boy lost control of the machine while driving on a gravel roadway. The machine drove into a ditch and rolled over. Witnesses were nearby and quickly attempted to administer first aid.
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Members of the family said the young boy had operated the machine in the past and was familiar with its operation.
RCMP is not releasing the name of the child for the family’s privacy.
Officials with Occupational Health and Safety said they are not allowed on the farm to investigate the accident and develop a safety plan to prevent future accidents.
Last week, the Alberta government introduced legislation that would eliminate the exemption for OHS on farms and allow investigations of farm accidents.
If the legislation is passed, OHS rules would extend to farms.
Alberta’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said there were 11 farm deaths in 2015 before this latest accident. Four of those were children, including three sisters who died three weeks earlier when they were buried in canola.
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