Horse kills man in Saratoga County

Posted at: 08/10/2012 8:29 AM | Updated at: 08/10/2012 6:10 PM
By: WNYT Staff

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Photo: Matt Soriano/WNYT

SARATOGA - A local fire department is mourning the death of one of its own Friday night.

James Bodnar died after he was trampled by a horse.

Bodnar was helping a friend corral his two horses after they got loose. When the call came in, it was his fellow fire fighters who responded to the scene.

Sixty-four-year-old Jimmy Bodnar was driving by 207 Casey Road in Quaker Springs, in the Town of Saratoga.

He saw a friend struggling with two horses outside the gate. Bodnar, and his 17-year-old grandson, stopped to help.

“Him and his grandson were trying to corral them and one horse just went crazy and trampled him,” said Chief Don Ormsby of the Quaker Springs Fire Department.

The call for help came into the Quaker Springs Fire House, about a mile and a half away.

“Coming upon the scene we realized who it was,” said Ormsby.

Bodnar went into cardiac arrest, and died at Saratoga Hospital.

Some are having more issues than others, it was a hard sight to take in.

For the past 42 years, Jimmy Bodnar has been a regular face here at the fire house - at times leading it. He was chief for six years in the 1990's. Most recently, he was commissioner.

A war veteran, a skilled carpenter - current Fire Chief Don Ormsby had to write down all his close friend's accomplishments and hobbies to not forget anything.

Right now, some are too emotional to respond to calls and the chief says thankfully, they haven't had any since Jimmy's call.

Calling hours are this Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. at Flynn Brothers Funeral Home in Schuylerville.