Hopefully my story will save a life or cause someone to think faster than I could. Last Friday, I was bushogging our family pond like I have dozens of times before. Up and down the banks never parallel with the water. On a completely "normal" pass as I backed the tail wheel to the edge of the pond, I leaned too far in the seat causing the kill switch to activate and immediatly shut off the engine. My first reaction was to crank the tractor...with the tractor off, going backwards on the interior of the dam, my first move was wrong and cost me too much time. Within one second of the tractor shutting off, the inertia of the blades caught the water and began sucking the tractor in the pond. My next move was to hit the brakes. (The placement of the brakes on this model is horrible above the tredle pedal). Time ran out at second two and the tractor was entering the water hitting the brakes did little good as gravity and blades were pulling us both in 14 feet of water. As water covered my waste I knew I had to get out of the seatbelt. I clicked the seat belt and Tried to stand up. The seatbelt was caught as if it was trying to prevent me from being ejected. I had to remove the belt from my lap to stand up. The water was to my chest in literally three seconds from shut off. I had to swim to the bank. I thought I was fast enough to drop the bucket but it would have done little to slow this event from unfolding, the bucket would have just slid in with us. Nevertheless, I hope my story causes someone to be safer than they otherwise would be and maybe they will think faster than me. Be safe out there guys. I never thought this could happen to me!
