Updated: Man killed in bulldozer accident

A Littleville man was killed yesterday in rural Franklin County when the bulldozer he was using went over the edge of a 50-foot ravine, officials said.

Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver said Waymon Wilkinson, 68, of U.S. 43 in Littleville, said was clearing land Wednesday afternoon near Cherry Lane and Franklin 8, which is close to Dismal’s Canyon, when the accident occurred just after 2 p.m.

“Mr. Wilkinson was actually the one who called 911 and told the dispatcher he had lost control of the small bulldozer he was using and it went over a steep ravine,” Oliver said.

“He was able to give a description of roughly where he was and rescue crews were dispatched to the area he described.”

Oliver said rescue crews from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Russellville Fire Department, Phil Campbell Fire Department, Gravel Hill Volunteer Fire Department, Phil Campbell Rescue and Air Evac responded to the scene about 2:30 p.m.

“When rescue workers got there, Mr. Wilkinson was unresponsive, so they immediately began trying to get to him,” Oliver said.

Russellville Fire Marshal Steve Thornton said the RFD assisted PC Rescue.

Thornton said they utilized the county’s medium rescue team to use ropes and other specialized equipment to rappel down the ravine to get to Wilkinson.

Franklin County Coroner Elzie Malone said after working for more than an hour, rescue workers were able to retrieve Wilkinson from the ravine, and he was pronounced dead at that time due to the injuries he sustained in the accident.

Malone said rescue crews continued to work at the scene until almost 6 p.m.