An Alberta farmer was still in hospital 10 days after he was wedged in a combine engine for 21 hours.
Ray Como, 82, of Morinville, Alta., is expected to move to a rehabilitation centre from the University Hospital in Edmonton when better, said his son-in-law, Barry Flynn.
“He still needs a lot of therapy to get his muscles working again,” said Flynn of St. Albert, Alta.
Como became stuck in his combine on Sept. 17 at about 1 p.m. and remained there until 9 a.m. the next morning when Flynn found him wedged upside down in the engine compartment.
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Como was leaning over the engine to get a serial number off the oil filter when he slid forward and got stuck.
“The more he worked to get out, the worse he got,” said Flynn.
He knew there was something amiss when Como didn’t answer his phone on the day the pair was scheduled to drive to a family birthday party in Cochrane. Flynn had phoned the previous night, but wasn’t alarmed that the widowed farmer didn’t answer his phone.
He lives alone and does not have a cellphone.
After driving to Como’s farm, Flynn found the house empty and unlocked and the vehicle in the yard. Flynn said he heard a moaning from the combine and found Como jammed in the machine.
During a news conference from his hospital bed, Como said he wasn’t a religious man, but he is now.
“I never prayed before in my life. I’m not that religious, said Como.
“I said let me live or let me die.”
Como said he must have gone into shock from the pain and didn’t realize he was stuck for so long.
It took the local fire department almost two hours to cut Como out of the combine. He was airlifted to hospital suffering dehydration and bruising.
Flynn said Como plans to rent out his land and retire from farming and will most likely move into an extended care facility.
“He’s resigned to the fact his farming days are done,” he said.
This week, neighbours plan to harvest his 110-acre crop.
