- The incident occurred at the Deer Tracks Junction adventure park.
- Tyler Powell was climbing a ladder when he fell on April 19.
- He is in the ICU with a head injury.
A 27-year-old zoo worker is in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury after deputies say he was knocked off a ladder by a giraffe while working in an enclosure.
The incident occurred at Deer Tracks Junction Adventure Park on April 19.
The park identified the man as Tyler Powell, 27, and the The Kent County Sheriff’s Office told WTSP that Powell was on a 6-foot ladder in the giraffe enclosure when the animal hit the ladder, causing him to fall.
The park later disputed the police statement and said there were no giraffes in the enclosure.
Powell was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries and remains in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury.
The park identified the man as 27-year-old Tyler Powell.
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office told WTSP that Powell was on a 6-foot ladder in the giraffe enclosure when the animal hit the ladder, causing him to fall.
Tyler’s father, Kelly Powell, who also owns Deer Tracks Junction, told News 8: ‘We were making improvements to the barn before the animals came back in. I was standing there. … It happened very quickly.”
However, he also said 13 ON YOUR SIDE that at the time of the fall there were no animals in the enclosure and that he was not run over by a giraffe.
The park shared a GoFundMe for Powell’s medical bills on Facebook.
They said: ‘We reach out to our community to pray. Tyler, who is a son, father, husband and a fundamental component of this business, was in an accident on Friday, April 19.
‘He is in critical condition in the ICU with a TBI (traumatic brain injury). We live in an unknown world and we reach out to all of you to pray. Please pray for healing and strength for Tyler.
The park shared a GoFundMe for Powell’s medical bills on Facebook
‘There are no words to describe how we feel and how grateful we are for this supportive community. If everyone would join us in praying for Tyler, we would be so grateful.
‘We want to take a moment to thank the Courtland Fire Department, Rockford Ambulance, Kent County Sheriff’s Department, the entire staff at Corewell Hospital and everyone who helped Tyler during this time. Thank you so much.’
They later shared a message from Tyler’s mother, saying: ‘We knew this was a long road and we knew it would be a rollercoaster. All of us, including doctors, are on God’s timeline.
‘We can’t rush. So today we thank God for a restful night for Tyler, stable numbers and pray for another day of rest and stability.”