Skip to content

Investigation into death of woman thrown from horse expected to take months

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety’s investigation into a worker who got bucked off a horse at a Central Alberta group home and later died in hospital could take several months, says a department spokesman.

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety’s investigation into a worker who got bucked off a horse at a Central Alberta group home and later died in hospital could take several months, says a department spokesman.

Barrie Harrison said that provincial investigators were called out to the Providing Residential Options and Services facility on an acreage near Bowden following Tuesday’s tragedy.

A 43-year-old woman working at the facility, a home for people with disabilities, was thrown off the horse on Tuesday at about 3:30 p.m. She was taken to Innisfail hospital where she died about two hours later, Harrison said on Friday.

Harrison said the worker had decided to pick up her horse from her place located next door.

“She had gone home to saddle up her horse and bring it back to the facility,” Harrison said.

Those at the group home would then have the chance to see the animal and pet it.

She was thrown off the horse.

Harrison said two workers administered first aid and used CPR prior to ambulance staff coming.

Occupational Health and Safety responsded because it happened on a work site, they responded.

Harrison said the investigators will look into a number of details, including whether she had been wearing a helmet at the time.

“We would be going over the protocols and processes for how this facility operates,” said Harrison. “We’d be going over their emergency procedures and in the end, we’d see if there is any variances from the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act.”

Charges could be laid under the Act, up to two years from the incident.

A worker reached at the group home declined comment on Thursday night.

ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com