WINTERSET — An Iowa man was killed in a tragic farm accident last week after becoming trapped by a skid loader while working alone on his farm in Madison County.
According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, dispatchers received a report at about 9:17 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, 2026, that an adult male had been injured by a skid loader in the 3000 block of Heritage Avenue, about 12 miles southwest of Winterset.
Responding deputies and other first responders found Ronald Bane, 69, of Lorimor, trapped by the machine. Authorities said Bane had been working on his farm and was unable to free himself before he was discovered.
Bane is believed to have been alone at the time of the accident. He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident is a grim reminder of the dangers that can come with farm work, especially when heavy equipment is being used in rural areas where help may not be immediately nearby. Skid loaders are common on Iowa farms and acreages, but they can be dangerous when operators become pinned, trapped, or caught between machinery and another object.
Farm safety experts have long urged equipment operators to use seat belts and safety restraints, keep bystanders away from operating machinery, avoid working beneath raised loader arms unless they are properly secured, and carry a phone or communication device when working alone.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Winterset Fire Department, Madison County Ambulance, the Iowa State Patrol and the Madison County Medical Examiner’s Office.