Dozens injured during Wisconsin apple orchard field trip after wagon overturns

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Dozens of children and adults were injured at an apple orchard in western Wisconsin on Wednesday after a hay wagon overturned during a field trip.

The wagon overturned at Bushel and a Peck Apple Orchard in Chippewa Falls, with elementary school-aged children from St. Mark Lutheran School in Eau Claire as well as parents and teachers on board.

A tractor was pulling the two wagons at a " low speed " in the orchard when one of the wagons began to lose control on a hill and overturned, according to Chippewa County Sheriff Travis Hakes.

Chippewa Fire District Deputy Chief Cory Jeffers told reporters emergency personnel were dispatched for a "tractor accident involving two hay wagons with kids and adults."

No one was killed, but 25 people were transported to local hospitals, including one by helicopter. Three suffered life-threatening injuries and five others were seriously injured, according to Hakes who called the incident "heart-wrenching."

"As a parent myself, it's a parent's greatest fear that something happens to their children, especially when they're young like that," said Hakes. "I can tell you that the children were extremely brave. Very resilient and extremely brave."

No word on how many of the injured were children.