A 73-year-old man was severely injured early Wednesday morning as he was cutting firewood in the area of Sligo Hill east of Brownstown, police report.

Richard H. Sowers of Medora sustained a severe wound to the abdomen and was flown to a trauma center in Indianapolis after the incident reported at 6:54 a.m. in the 1500 block of South County Road 100E, according to a report from Jackson County Sheriffs’ Department Officer Brad Barker.

Barker said he and Brownstown Officer Jessiah Watts were the first officers to respond to the scene and found Sowers. They began administering first aid while trying to obtain information for other emergency personnel responding to the scene.

Barker said Sowers was conscious and alert and was treated at the scene by medical personnel with Jackson County Emergency Medical Services and Brownstown Volunteer Fire Department. He was then taken to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour before being flown to the trauma center in Indianapolis.

Sowers was injured while cutting firewood for himself, Barker said.

He said it is believed Sowers was cutting a piece of wood that became lodged in the saw.

Sowers was able to get the piece of wood free, but when he did, the saw came back and hit him in the abdomen, Barker said.