The Ministry of Labour is no longer investigating a death tied to the Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association (WETRA).
Ministry spokesperson Janet Deline said the incident does not fall under the ministry’s jurisdiction and it is no longer investigating.
She said the incident occurred at a farm and the deceased was not a worker as reported to the ministry.
The ministry was notified on Wednesday about the incident at the WETRA in Essex. Deline said the ministry was told that a worker was pinned by a piece of equipment they were operating on Tuesday. She added the worker died in the hospital from his injuries.
Becky Mills, Executive Director of the Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association said a farm business owner was hired to bale hay and passed away using his own equipment. The victim, she said, was not a WETRA employee.
"On behalf of the Windsor Essex Therapeutic Riding Association, we are heartbroken by the tragic event that occurred [Tuesday night] during the hay harvest, which resulted in the fatality of one of our farming partners," Mills said in a statement. "We are saddened by this loss and our deepest sympathies go out to the family, the WETRA team and the farming community."
The deceased's name has not been released.
"There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our staff, volunteers and farming partners, and we fully support the Ministry of Labour in its investigation into this incident," WETRA added.
The riding association provides several programs for people with disabilities and special needs, including riding and driving sessions and holds several events to raise money throughout the year.
WETRA has been around for 50 years under different names.
Nearly 200 people with special needs receive therapy at WETRA each week. About 80 per cent of those who are enrolled in the program are children who have developmental, emotional or physical disabilities. The remaining 20 per cent are adults with similar challenges.
The association's farm sits on 73 acres along the Chrysler Canada Greenway trail in Essex near the Town of McGregor and can house up to 30 horses. The facility offers complete accessibility and has allowed WETRA to expand its many services to the community.