Man Hurt After Fall Down a Washout

A man suffered serious injuries last Monday after he fell 20 feet into a wash out on private property off Zapalac Rd. near Ellinger. The accident happened around 1 p.m.

A neighbor with property along Zapalac Rd. told the Record that he and several other neighbors share a private driveway off Zapalac Rd. to access property near the Colorado River. Part of the road travels across on a tall dike that was built many decades ago above the lowlying floodplain. He said a washout recently developed on top of the dike. The neighbors had hired a local contractor to fill in the hole, and the contractor was supposed to begin the work on Tuesday.

On Monday, however, one of the property owners, a man in his 60s, was walking on the dike and got too close to the edge of the hole. The neighbor identified the injured man as retired local banker Kenneth Zapalac.

Fayette County Assistant EMS Director Gary Daniels said the man fell approximately 20 feet. He suffered multiple bone fractures, Daniels said.

Ellinger Volunteer Fire Department arrived along with Fayette County EMS. Firefighters used a rescue basket to lift the man out of the hole. A medical helicopter from Washington County EMS flew the man to Dell Seton Hospital in Austin for treatment.

Daniels said the man was in stable condition and recovering as of last Friday, Feb. 2.