6-year-old child killed in wood chipper accident

Salem, Conn. (WTNH) -- A 6-year-old child has been killed following an accident with a wood chipper in Salem.

Jeffrey Bourgeois, 6, was killed when he was sucked into a wood chipper.

It happened Tuesday morning on a job at a house on Brookside Drive.

Bourgeois and his two older siblings had gone to work with their father who was using the wood chipper to do some tree work on the Salem property. The boy's father is the owner of a tree removal service.

"The youngest child attempted to assist his father, the father's back was turned, [Jeffrey was] picking a branch up trying to feed it into the chipper when in fact he was pulled into the chipper," said Lt. J. Paul Vance. "[He was] pronounced dead here at the scene."
 
The Bourgeois family is also from Salem, a town where most people know each other and now share in this tragic accident.

"Were getting counseling for the family, basically the members," said Salem fire chief Eugene Maiorano. "I was first on the scene. The family lives right across the street from me so I was first on the scene. Saw that we had basically kept everybody away."

Salem schools were on Easter vacation, which is why the first grader was with his father. School administrators have assembled a crisis intervention team to determine how they will deal with this tragic death.

"We have a tiny little town here and it's big in area wise and it's small in people and pretty close knit community so it's horrible to hear," said Pat Welch.

"Today is a very very tragic day for our Salem residents," said First Selectman Kevin Lyden. "This was a Salem family, very good family in town, a well known family. Our hearts and prayers go out to them."

Grief and loss counselors will be at the Salem School from Wednesday to Friday from 3-6 p.m. for parents and students. Counselors will also be on hand Monday through Wednesday when school goes back into session next week.

Police say there is no criminal aspect to this accident.