Veterinarian survives near-fatal cattle chute injuries, shares safety warning

WOOD COUNTY – Eric Knock’s near-fatal injuries have mostly healed, but his approach to safety is changed forever.
In Sept. 2022, the Miller, S.D., veterinarian was working with a crew in a producer’s pasture. As Knock finished treating a bull, he stood up next to the chute. At that moment, the squeeze gate on the chute was released to free the bull, causing Knock’s skull to become pinched between the chute frame and squeeze mechanism. Knock survived significant injuries and is now sharing his ordeal at tellingthestoryproject.org/eric.
Knock’s story is the latest of 15 such incidents shared through Telling the Story Project, which embeds injury-prevention messages directly into these firsthand accounts, transforming them into powerful educational tools. The project is a collaboration between three agricultural safety and health centers funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) -- the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, and the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety – as well as the National Farm Medicine Center.
Although Knock didn’t lose consciousness, he doesn’t recall details of the incident, nor being airlifted to the hospital.
“I didn’t need surgery, but I had several skull fractures,” he said. “Doctors used words like ‘extensive’ and ‘many.’ None of the fractures were displaced. If that had happened, the outcome could have been much more serious.”

Knock spent 12 days in the hospital and then months afterward recovering from bleeding on the brain, nerve damage affecting an eye, and severe damage to his middle ear and eardrum, which required surgery.
Since the incident, Knock takes a few crucial seconds to assess his environment before he starts working.
“I’m more aware of where everyone is while we’re working,” he said. “I pay close attention to pinch points on equipment, so I recognize the hazards to myself and fellow workers. We all know there are dangers when we work around large animals and equipment. This incident has intensified our understanding of what can happen.”
The Telling the Story Project motto is, “Tell a story, save a life,” reflecting its mission to inspire change through personal stories.
“By sharing these personal stories, we hope to encourage farmers, farm workers, and ranchers to adopt safer practices in their work,” said Ellen Duysen, project team member, Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health.