Children Among 25 Injured After Wagon at Apple Orchid Tips O…

Several elementary school-age students were injured after riding in a wagon that overturned at the Bushel and a Peck Apple Orchard in Lafeyette, Wis., on Wednesday, Sept. 18, Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes said in a Facebook announcement. 

The children were students at St. Mark Lutheran School in Eau Claire, Wis., and at the Lafayette orchard on a field trip accompanied by parents and chaperones. Lafayette is 58 miles southwest of Madison, Wis.

Twenty-five people, including children and adults, were injured after the wagon pulled by a tractor lost control going downhill. The driver attempted to stop, but the wagon “abruptly” turned over, Hakes said.

Three of those injured had life-threatening injuries and five more had serious injuries. Nine more were transported by ambulance, one more by helicopter and others were taken by personal vehicles.

All the victims were taken to a local hospital, except for the victim in the helicopter, Hakes said in a Sept. 18 press conference. He confirmed all the victims were stable, but he could not provide further details at the time.

“The Chippewa Sheriff’s Office responded and the Chippewa County Emergency Management immediately notified the Hospital Readiness Collation of incoming patients,” Hakes said, adding that the cooperating first responders “were able to address medical needs in a timely manner.”

Those who assisted include Lake Hallie Police Department, Chippewa Fire District, Chippewa Falls Fire Department, Cadott EMS and Fire, Boyd EMS, Bloomer Ambulance, Eau Claire Fire and EMS, Mayo Clinic Health Systems, Chippewa County Public Health and Chippewa County Department of Health and Human Services.

Hakes confirmed he headed to the scene, “assisted in calming the children” and reunited them with their parents.

“As a parent myself, it’s a parent’s greatest fear that something happens to their children, especially when they’re as young as that,” Hakes said during the press conference. “I can tell you the children were extremely brave, very resilient. I’m very proud of every one of those kiddos.”

“The chaperones did a fantastic job,” Hakes remarked. “The chaperones and the parents that were at the scene had plans. They had a list of children and contact information that was instrumental in reuniting the parents with the children.”

After the incident, the school principal, Peter J. Micheel, issued a statement, per WQOW 18. “At this time, we are trusting the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department as their members were at the scene,” he wrote. “At this point, we are focusing on reuniting the children with their caregivers.”

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Representatives for Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office and Bushel and a Peck Apple Orchard did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for more information on Thursday.