SYLACAUGA — Two local teens acted quickly after a man was run over by a 2,500 pound tractor Friday, preventing what could have been a tragic end.

High school seniors Trae Finn and Cody Sanders were at Johnny Dawson’s home around 4 p.m., helping him attach a Bush Hog rotary cutter to his tractor.

Finn’s family had been neighbors with Dawson for nearly 30 years.

“I live right down the road from (Dawson), I used to work for him for a couple of years,” Finn said. “He had hip surgery recently and he wanted me to put a quick-connect on his tractor for his Bush Hog, so he wouldn’t have to get off the tractor.”

The three had the piece of equipment partially attached but needed to adjust the tractor’s hydraulic lift. Dawson stood beside the tractor and started it.

Dawson said he thought he had placed the tractor gear into neutral before starting it. But when he pushed the clutch and turned the ignition, the tractor lurched forward.

“I don’t know if it was already in gear or it jumped into gear,” Finn said. “When he started to fall he grabbed the steering wheel. That’s what pulled it on top of him.”

Dawson’s foot was caught by the rear tire, pulling him underneath the tractor.

“They jumped out of the way but they couldn’t do anything for me,” he said. “(The tire) started at my right foot, came up my right knee, across my groin area, across my chest, shoulder and came off my head.”

The tractor rolled over Dawson and continued another few feet before running into a support beam outside his shop. Dawson found himself trapped against the gravel pavement with the 300-plus pound Bush Hog lying on top of him.

Finn and Sanders attempted to lift the piece of equipment off Dawson. After they were unable to, Finn ran to the house to alert Dawson’s wife, Kitty, and to call 911.

Sanders stayed with Dawson, who remained trapped underneath the rotary cutter.

“(Sanders) said ‘Mr. Dawson, I can’t get it off of you,’” Dawson said. “I said, ‘Son, you have got to because I can’t breathe.’ I was just gasping for breath. I guess with the adrenaline or whatever, he grabbed it and got it off of me”

Sanders somehow managed to not only lift the Bush Hog but push it to the side and away from Dawson. Sanders said he kept Dawson talking and made sure Dawson did not move or close his eyes while they waited for help to arrive.

“Me and him were just talking,” Sanders said. “I was just trying to keep him conscious, make sure he didn’t go into a coma or into shock. I made sure he stayed awake the whole time talking to me.”

Sanders, who did not have any CPR or other emergency training, said he surprised himself by staying level-headed in the situation.

“I didn’t think I would be like that,” he said. “My dad taught me to always stay calm if there’s an emergency. My (grandfather), he raises cows, he always taught me if something ever happens to keep your cool, to cut off whatever (equipment) you’re running and try to figure out the situation.”

Finn returned with Dawson’s wife, Kitty, to wait for an ambulance. Kitty said it arrived quickly along with responders from the police and fire departments.

Dawson was airlifted to UAB Hospital. He was there for nearly 30 hours but was released home Saturday after being cleared of any immediate danger.

Finn and Sanders both went to see Dawson after he returned from the hospital. Dawson and his wife thanked the two for everything they had done.

“He just thanked me and wanted to take me out to eat, do something for me I guess,” Finn said. “I wasn’t really worried about it. I would have wanted him to do the same for me.”

The ordeal left Dawson with chipped vertebrae, a broken jaw, several teeth knocked out, and cuts and bruising on the front and back of his body. But he said it could have been much worse.

“Luckily there were no internal injuries,” he said. “My spleen and everything were intact, just a lot of bad contusions.”

“Bruised and banged up. But those two basically saved my life.”