Inspection Detail

Inspection: 111962031 - Gosal Bros. Farms

Inspection Information - Office: Redding District Office

Investigation Summary

At approximately 8:30 p.m. on June 21, 1992, Employee #1, of Gosal Farms, left his residence on the ranch and got on a Kubota M8030 four-wheel-drive tractor. He was driving around a prune orchard west of his residence. Employee #1 had been irrigating this prune orchard during the day. He was driving between a drain ditch and the perimeter ridge when he came to an area where brush was piled alongside the ditch. There was no room to drive so he straddled the dry ridge and followed it around the brush until the ridge again ran parallel to the ditch and there was room to drive. When he approached an intersecting cross ridge, he turned off the ridge, but instead of staying in the right-of-way between the ditch and the ridge, he continued on an approximate 45 degree angle into the drain ditch. The tractor overturned, pinning Employee #1 underneath. The two owners went looking for their tractor at about 5:30 a.m. the next day and found Employee #1 underwater beneath the tractor. A tow truck was called to lift the tractor and remove Employee #1, who was pronounced dead. The owners stated that Employee #1 was not authorized to drive the tractor and was not supposed to be working.

Keywords: DITCH, AGRICULTURE, PINNED, WORK RULES, TRACTOR, DROWN, OVERTURN, WATER