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A Brownsdale man had to be airlifted to the hospital after being found unconscious following an ATV accident Tuesday afternoon.

According to Mower County Chief Deputy Mark May, Mower County deputies, Brownsdale First Responders, Mayo Ambulance and Mayo 1 responded to a report of a male found unconscious on the ground at about 1:07 p.m. on Tuesday at his residence in the 24000 block of 600th Avenue in Brownsdale. They were advised that the man was breathing, but was otherwise unresponsive. Upon arrival, responders located Duane Douglas Anderson, 72, unconscious on the ground near an overturned Polaris Sportsman 500 ATV on his property. 

The accident was not witnessed; however, first responders believe Anderson was attempting to load his ATV onto the back of a trailer, which was connected to a pickup truck. May said it appeared that Anderson may have accelerated rapidly while attempting to drive the ATV on the trailer, as fresh spin marks were located in the gravel leading up to the trailer. As a result, it’s believed the ATV drove into the trailer, striking the trailer “headache rack” and hitting the tailgate of the pickup truck, as evidenced by a large dent, causing the ATV to flip off the trailer and overturn.

Anderson was transported by Mayo 1 to Mayo Clinic Hospital, St. Marys Campus-Rochester. Anderson had not regained consciousness by the time he was transported; May said he was unaware of Anderson’s condition as of Wednesday morning.