Edgar County man killed when pinned underwater by mower at Eagle Ridge Golf Course

Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 7:07 PM

By Staff report

Edgar County Coroner Scott Barrett released a formal statement regarding a fatal occupational incident that occurred Friday at the Eagle Ridge Golf Course, resulting in the death of a Vermilion man.
According to the coroner, Edgar County 911 received an emergency call at 12:10 p.m. reporting an unresponsive employee discovered beneath a commercial zero‑turn mower partially submerged in a course pond. The caller indicated that the individual was pinned beneath the equipment and required immediate assistance.
Emergency medical personnel from Horizon Health Ambulance, along with units from the Paris Fire Department, Paris Police Department, and the Edgar County Sheriff’s Department, responded to the scene. Upon assessment by first responders, the coroner’s office was requested due to the absence of signs of life.
The decedent has been identified as Jay L. Roush, 64, of Vermilion, Illinois. He was pronounced deceased at the scene by the coroner.
Preliminary investigative findings indicate that a fellow employee initiated a welfare check after being unable to reach Mr. Roush by phone. The employee subsequently located both Mr. Roush and the mower in approximately three feet of water. At this stage of the investigation, it remains undetermined what precipitated the mower’s entry into the pond. No mechanical, environmental, or medical factors have yet been excluded.
A forensic autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning in Springfield, Illinois, to be conducted by Forensic Pathologist Dr. Nate Patterson. Autopsy findings, including cause and manner of death, will be released pending completion of the examination and associated laboratory analyses.
The incident remains under active investigation by the Edgar County Sheriff’s Department in coordination with the Edgar County Coroner’s Office.