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Operator of pumpkin tosser injured in freak accident
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By NANCY FOSTER
New Hampshire Union Leader Correspondent
Monday, Sep. 24, 2007
GREENFIELD – It was a rough ending to the first weekend of the annual pumpkin flinging season by the Yankee Siege when one of the medieval weapon's main operators was injured in an accident.
Chuck Willard of Hancock, who climbs the 55-foot high boom on the trebuchet dozens of times a day during the fall-flinging season, was knocked unconscious about 2:30 p.m. yesterday when the boom from the trebuchet, a catapult-like device that uses counterweight to hurl pumpkins nearly 300 yards, struck him in the chin.
"He was out for about two minutes," said an employee at the Yankee Siege site, who asked not to be identified. "He came to, but they called in an ambulance and took him to the hospital just to be sure he's OK."
Lawrence Foster, a bystander who witnessed the accident, said that Willard and the crew of the Yankee Siege were lowering the boom in order to reload it with another pumpkin when the accident occurred.
"Something must not have been secured property, because the boom came up suddenly and knocked the guy flat," Foster said.
Willard was out of the hospital last night and ready to start flinging again, said Kathy Seigars, wife of Steve Seigars, the man behind the Yankee Siege.
"He's got a stitch in his chin and he's going to have a very sore jaw," Kathy Seigars said.
Seigars said that the cause of the accident was some sort of "freak thing," with the trigger.
"Chuck did everything he was supposed to do," Seigars said, but something in the trigger didn't catch property.
Getting knocked unconscious was no match for the passion Willard has for the contraption.
"When he came to," Siegars said, "Chuck said he wanted to get up and do it again. But we thought it might be better if he went to the hospital."
The Yankee Siege is the brainchild of Seigars, a dentist who owns the Yankee Farmer farm stand across the street. On a small field, across from the Yankee Farmer, Seigars and friends, including Willard, began constructing the medieval machine about five years ago, cutting 10-foot wheels from giant oil drums, and using wood and steel to create the rest of the estimated 35,000-pound giant.
As attention to the pumpkin flinger has grown, the area around the trebuchet has become more elaborately adorned with each passing year. A giant steel castle stands at one end of the field, and behind the trebuchet is a man-made pond with an island and tiny, landscaped peninsulas that give gawkers a clear view of the machine in action.
An old oil drum has been converted into a concession stand that sells drinks, snacks and T-shirts to visitors who come from all over the country to see pumpkins fly for a few seconds before smashing into the field several hundred yards away.
Chuck Willard was climbing around the boom of the 55-foot-high Yankee Siege trebuchet in Greenfield, seen at left, yesterday afternoon to prepare for reloading pumpkins when he was struck by the boom and sent to the hospital for treatment.
For the last several years, at the end of pumpkin-flinging season, Seigars and his crew disassemble the Yankee Siege and transport the trebuchet to Millsboro, Del., where they compete with other pumpkin flingers for the world record distance for throwing pumpkins.
The Siege repeatedly has won top honors as world champion at the annual Punkin' Chunkin' competition.
But yesterday afternoon, all was quiet after Willard was hurt, and flinging was canceled for the rest of the day.
"We'll be up and running again next weekend," Kathy Seigars said.
The Yankee Siege, located on Route 31, will launch pumpkins, weather permitting, every weekend afternoon through the end of October.
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YOUR COMMENTS
More power to you MR. Willard.
Hope you are in good shape - keep it up.
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As another "CHUNKER", I can appreciate your passion. Go for it.
- Jack S, Westminster, CO
People... Life is a risk based activity. Everything we do, every day, from stairs, to driving, to eating(!) has risk associated with it. As individuals, we all make decisions about what we consider acceptable risk. Virtually all of us consider operating a motor vehicle to be an acceptable risk, even though people are injured and die every day in accidents. We rely on our skill sets and saftey gear to hopefully protect us. I do not find the risk associated with skydiving acceptable, but I do recognize and accept the risks associated with riding and racing motorcycles and snowboarding. This is my personal decision, not yours. For me, part of determining what is acceptable risk is knowledge, developing the proper skill sets, and having the proper equipment. Having said all that, I also recognize that accidents do happen, and I also choose to accept that possibility when I participate in a particular activity. O.K.: A show of hands... How many people here have ever designed, built or operated a trebuchet? Me neither. So I am in no position to comment on the risks associated with operating a trebuchet, and you aren't either. As a spectator watching the trebuchet in operation, I make decisions about my personal safety above and beyond what the operators dictate, and position myself accordingly. If I didn't feel relatively safe, my choice would be to leave. Don't let your ignorance show by making blanket negative statements. Final thought: You can't idiot-proof the world we live in, and accidents happen. Take control of managing the risk in your world to the extent that you can, don't try to force your standards on me and we'll all get along just fine. Bob B
- Bob B, Brookline, NH
"Pumpkin tosser." I hope you can hear my sigh over here. It's a trebuchet. And it's really not that hard to spell or say. Building and operating is another matter - now that's talent.
- Jennifer, Memphis, TN
Trebuchets don't smash pumpkins; people smash pumpkins.
- Charlie, Hopkinton
Yankee Siege has become an icon of American freedom and the 2nd amendment. How long will it be until our government tries to disarm men like Willard and Seigars of their trebuchets "for their own safety".
I'm glad Chuck will be alright.
- Walker, Orlando, Florida
Oh, PLEASE! Nothing can be made entirely safe, and anyone who thinks life can be is deluded. The organizers and spectators face much more danger driving to and from the event!
It's a strange thing about humans that they ignore serious but routine danger (driving anywhere), yet obsess and fret over unlikely dangers like plane crashes and misfiring trebuchets. Misplaced anxiety, folks. Get over it.
- TikiMon, Atlanta, GA
Every year I watch the crew of Yankee Siege compete in the annual Punkin Chunkin in Delaware. This years event is in Bridgeville Delaware, new home to Punkin Chunkin. The whole thing was started by a group of friends and has grown into a huge event drawing thousands of people every year. Check out the web site Punkinchunkin.com for all the history and pictures of past events.
- John, Milford Delaware
I think that it is great that Chuck is showing the skills of this machine. I am sorry he got hurt, but am glad that he will recover. Like any activity that any of us do, he takes a chance, doesn't mean that politics need to get involved. There are to many laws to "Protect Us" Sometimes they hinder us. Keep on chucking, Chuck.
- Marsha, Charlestown
Dont get me wrong folks, what mr willard (or even Mr. Wizard) has created is absolutely awesome. And I'm glad he's alive and not severely hurt. And i wouldn't be worried about his teeth because what the woman at the little shed said about him is that he has a doctrines in dentistry $$$ which is what funded this thing.
I retired my potato cannon just for that fact that I had 2 good years with it and its best not to push my luck. When you see this thing in it's massive power its hard not to ponder what could be dangerous about it, like the other person who pretty much had a premonition of chuck getting slammed in the chin.
I know he has to have permits for this, but I'm surprised the person who authorized it has taken a better look into safety issues. keep in mind this type of contraption was used to take down castles, and his has won competitions of being the best in either america or the world...i forget. But that alone says enough to say this thing is dangerous and needs better regulation.
- Jared P., Manchester, NH
Pete, I have seen this thing, like I said, numerous times, and I understand physics. The fact that there is a little rock wall, and if there is a pumpkin that is released early on accident that would have not as much kenetic energy as a full launch, and would also have gravity pulling that pumpkin down without as much energy going to keep it more straight flight, leaves that chance that a pumpkin weighing up too 100 lbs (Just like mr. willard says) could land directly into the path of traffic.|
Now we all know that mistakes can happen, like car accidents, fires, or getting your chin slammed by a giagantic boom that knocks you out for 2 minutes because you were getting a little careless from the same ruitein (sp?) over and over and made a simple mistake..... It happens, and all you need is one time that someone is not watching for cars and a pumpkin get let early and kills someone for your opinion to change.|
I'm one to buy a smoke or fire alarm before my house burns down and some get hurt instead of waiting for it to happen and then buy one with the probability of it never happening again. Think prevention.
- Jared P., Manchester, NH
I make a trek to see this every year for about six years now. I have watched with amazement the timing that goes into each and every launch. Accidents happen. Considering that they make a throw about every half hour two days a week, two months a year for many years and have this be the only accident, that's an impeccable safety record. They have had misfires, and yes twice a pumpkin has "backfired", no one has gotten hurt except Mr Willard. Chuck, I know you're a tough guy, I hope you jaw gets better. Seeya Saturday for more fun.
- Paul, West Townsend MA
All I could think as I read this article was "that poor man's teeth" and then had to laugh a bit when I read that the Yankee Siege was the brainchild of a dentist. It just struck me as funny! I am glad that Mr. Willard is all right and eager to get back out there! As for Cory and his bout of snobbery...regrettable that he can't see what a great state NH is. He can have the spot I left behind in Boston when I decided that the city was too pretensious and moved north. :)
- K. LoRusso, Manchester, NH
"People in NH that take part in these kind of activities...." is a crass generalization and those of us that love it here in NH love it warts and all. So they spend time tossing pumpkins... beats hanging in a bar or any number of other things they could be doing. I hope they build the best pumpkin tosser in the word and have a blast doing it. Just my 2 cents
- SteveO, Danville
I was there that day but I left before this happened. This trebuchet is amazing. Have you seen it? Obviously not. The power is astonishing and to think this man (the one who got hurt) built this amazing machine with a crane.
I am sorry that inelegant farmers, engineers and welders from NH bother you so much. And as for us bystanders who have free time on a Saturday to go see something that is free and REALY COOL, I'm sure they would all like to say to you; please, don't even come here for the weekends, we do not want someone who is too busy and embarrassed to appreciate someone else’s hard work and art coming to our beautiful state.
And I would also like to add, they take every safety precaution and no one but the people who run the trebuchet are in harms way.
Thank you from a proud NH resident who has lived here all her life.
- AW, Milford, NH
People in NH that take part in these kind of activities are the exact reason I am embarrassed to tell say I am from. It is also the reason I will only use nh as a second home on weekends. Anybody who has enough free time to stand around and watch a pumpkin being thrown should really assess what they are doing with their life.
- Cory, Alton
Jared, they have a backstop to catch any pumpkin (should it mistakenly launch backwards) - you don't need a 40 foot wall. Hey, pitchers sometimes throw wild. That ball moves at 90+ mph. They should put a 40' wall behind home plate at every ball park!! Additionally, they have spotters watching for traffic on the road. They don't launch if there are any cars (or pedestrians, or people on horseback, etc.) coming down the road. All in all, they do a good job of keeping onlookers out of harm's way. Please try to present all the facts/details before you raise the "shut them down!" alarm.
- Pete, Clinton, MA
I've seen this thing numerous times and its pretty sweet, but I always knew that there was going to be a mishap at some point. Other dangers with this thing include that the pumpkin could come out of the sling early and be thrown right at a busy road and potentially kill someone driving by.
I feel that this thing should be shut down or this person should be forced to put up some 40 foot walls to keep stray or early released pumpkins from killing or hurting people.
Glad to hear ur OK Mr Willard, but please use more sense.
If I were to have a contraption like this I'd probably get arrested for terrorist activity. Even my measly potato cannon is now considered a terrorist activity and not NEARLY as deadly as this things.
- Jared P, Manchester, nh
He was caught in the *chin*. A helmet wouldn't have helped.
We were there Saturday and witnessed two launches. When we saw them setting the machine up for launch #2, my friends and I were talking and said -- they should be careful, if that thing slips they'll catch it in the chin (commenting on the fact that they were leaning over the boom while connecting the trigger which they could have done from the side). I wish now we had shared our concerns with them on Saturday.
Glad you're okay Chuck. Keep on chunkin'!
- Pete, Clinton, MA
Maybe this is the type of machine that can be used for paper delivery.
Guaranteed to hit every porch.
- Karl, Newburyport
Id like to say to Mr. Willard, Keep your "chin up", and make sure you dont get 'squashed' next time by your Pumpkin-hurling catapult.
You KNOW getting hit by that contraption had to hurt! YIKES!
- Melanie, Manchester, NH
Can we hire him to launch some of these liberal, tax-happy state legislators over the state line, into Massachusetts (or VT and ME, for that matter), where they'll be more welcomed by the "progessive" populace?
- Bruce M., Brentwood
Glad Mr. Willard is alright but all I can say is, "Boys will be boys with thier toys!" Carry on Sir, and great fun to you, perhaps a helmet may be called for next time..;-)
- Dawn, Manchester
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