Newton man seriously injured at manufacturing plant scheduled to close

Patrick Martin was seriously injured working at Gates Corporation this past week, but by the time he fully recovers he will no longer have a job to return to.

The 44-year-old Newton man is in the hospital with a broken leg and pelvis. His wife, Mya, told Newton News a machine fell on him while he was at work. Patrick had to undergo three and a half hours of surgery to repair his pelvis, which was broken in two places. Doctors hope to perform another surgery on his leg soon.

Des Moines Register reported in early August that Gates Corporation would be closing its Newton plant in November. The closure was posted on Iowa’s Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) website. Gates Corporation manufactures industrial belts, hoses and other hydraulic products.

The closure of the Newton plant at 1801 N. 19th Ave. E. will result in the loss of 41 jobs. Patrick worked maintenance at Gates Corporation.

In response to the incident which occurred on Aug. 28, Mya has set up a GoFundMe page to support her husband’s recovery and help pay for living expenses. The goal is set at $5,000, and as of 2 p.m. Aug. 29 there have been four donations totaling $265.

Visit the GoFundMe page here: www.gofundme.com/f/support-patricks-recovery-after-work-accident

When Patrick isn’t working on model cars or doing yard work, his favorite pastime is riding is Harley-Davidson Trike. Mya said her 91-year-old grandmother lives with them and Patrick helps take care of her. Which makes the incident at Gates even more devastating for the Martin family.

“I don’t know what I would do without him,” she said. “He’s got a very long road to recovery and probably won’t be out of the hospital for a long time.”