Worthington man stable after crane mishap

• Brian Dykstra

Brian Dykstra (at right) and his wife, Amy, pose for a photograph with their five children.

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WORTHINGTON — A Worthington man who was run over by a 15-ton crane during a work accident Monday is in stable condition, according to a Web site being updated by his family.

“Please continue to remember him in your prayers as there still remain several serious possible concerns and he still has a long road ahead,” reads one Friday morning entry on CaringBridge.org, a Web site designed to keep family and friends updated on patients’ conditions.

Brian Dykstra, an employee of Sioux Falls-based Jerke Construction, was injured at about 8:15 a.m. Monday while working at the Suzlon Rotor Corp. in Pipestone. According to a report by the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office, he had trouble starting his crane and began stepping down from it in an attempt to solve the problem. At that point, the crane started and shifted into gear, throwing Dykstra beneath the tires of the machine and severely injuring both his legs.

Suzlon employee Craig Rieck stopped the crane, and the Pipestone County Sheriff’s Office and Pipestone County ambulance were dispatched to the scene. The 33-year-old crane operator was transported by ambulance to Pipestone County Medical Center and later airlifted to Avera Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.

According to journal entries on CaringBridge.org, Dykstra then underwent about nine hours of surgery to repair the severed arteries and ligaments in his legs. His right leg was amputated above the knee Wednesday, and he was put on kidney dialysis. A CAT scan Thursday did not reveal any internal bleeding.

As of Friday afternoon, Dykstra remained on dialysis and was having fluid drained from his left leg.

He was taken off the ventilator Friday morning on a trial basis, and his mother, Karen Dykstra, reported Friday afternoon that he was doing well without it.

“I’m getting better,” he told his family.

His wife, Amy, wrote in an e-mail Friday that hospital staff were continuing to watch the amputation site to determine if they will need to amputate more of his leg.

“We are hoping this is it and he won’t need any more surgeries. He had surgeries three days in a row,” she wrote.

Family members are keeping others updated through entries on the Caring Bridge site, which also has an online guestbook for family and friends to post messages of encouragement.

As of 4:30 p.m. Friday, Dykstra’s page had 2,055 total visitors and 105 people had signed the online guestbook.

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