Boyer injured in fall from ladder

In the second such accident in two months, a Kitsap County elected official has injured himself by falling off a ladder.

Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer was cleaning out gutters at his Keyport home on Saturday when the right leg of the ladder began to slip. He could not regain his balance and fell about 19 feet, “landing on my left tush,” he said.

Boyer was helped into the house by his family, but did not immediately seek medical attention beyond taking aspirin. When the pain persisted on Sunday, he went to Harrison Medical Center, where two pelvic fractures were discovered.

State Sen. Phil Rockefeller (D-Bainbridge Island) had a similar accident in September and suffered potentially life-threatening injuries. Rockefeller is currently undergoing several months of physical therapy but expects to be in good shape for the 2008 legislative session.

Boyer was scheduled for a CAT scan on Monday afternoon to determine the full extent of his injuries. He said he felt good, but tired.

“This was not one of my most shining moments,” he said of the accident. “I’m not as tough as I used to be.”

Boyer was scheduled to address a Citizens on Patrol Dinner on Sunday night. His son Andrew, a first-year Washington State Patrol cadet, filled in and “did a great job” according to Kitsap County Undersheriff Dennis Bonneville.

Boyer expects to be in the hospital until Thursday. He does not know when he will return to work. He is addressing some issues from his hospital bed, as Bonneville brought some paperwork into the hospital on Monday.

“It’s like he’s on vacation,” Bonneville said. “If I have any questions, I can just call him up on the phone.”

Aside from re-reading the “Safety First” manual, Boyer has already learned from the experience.

“I’ve never been a patient,” he said. “I’ve found how fortunate we are to have Harrison Hospital in our community. The staff has provided premier health care. It makes you feel good that you have a place to go if something bad happens.”

Boyer, 56, is serving his third term as sheriff. He said Monday he plans to run for a fourth term in 2010.

“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished,” he said. “I want to make this a great place for the next person who takes over.”

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