Deputies: Employee injured while working in giraffe enclosure
COURTLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — An employee at Deer Tracks Junction Adventure Park remains hospitalized in critical condition after an accident April 19 in the zoo’s giraffe enclosure.
Deputies with the Kent County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the park just before 3:50 p.m. An employee, identified by family as 27-year-old Tyler Powell, was working on a ladder in the giraffe enclosure when he was knocked off of a 6-foot ladder, fell, and hit his head.
Tyler’s father, Kelly Powell, owns the family-run Deer Tracks Junction. He says he was just feet away when it happened.
“We were doing upgrades in the stall before the animals were moved back in,” Kelly Powell told News 8. “I was standing right there. … It happened so quick.”
According to Powell, the enclosure holds two giraffes and includes three stalls, so one can be left empty whenever it needs to be serviced or cleaned. While there was no animal inside the stall that Powell was working on, deputies say one of the giraffes was responsible for the accident.
The zoo posted on social media on April 22 that Tyler had suffered a traumatic brain injury and asked for prayers.
“We are living in a world of unknowns, and we are reaching out to you all for prayer,” Deer Tracks Junction wrote. “There are no words to describe how we feel and how grateful we are for this supportive community.”
Bonnie Beckwith, the zoo’s business development manager, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support the family. As of Tuesday afternoon, it had raised more than $3,300.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com.
