He was leaning over the divider and spraying the top of each sheep’s head with chalk to be able to identify them.
The ram then jumped up and barged into the side of his ribs. De Pass said he fell backwards and broke one of his thigh bones.
The incident happened about 3pm. Unable to move and with no way of contacting anyone, he waited to be found.
His wife Karen and son James were concerned when he did not show up for dinner just before 6pm so they went looking for him.
James found his father sitting on the sheep yard floor, lucid but unable to move.
“I thought it was a relief that he was alive,” Karen said.
She called St John, which then called the Little River Volunteer Fire Brigade.
The fire brigade assisted a rescue helicopter with its landing.
The brigade arrived at the scene about 7pm.
The Westpac Rescue Helicopter arrived about 8pm. De Pass was carried to the helicopter by firefighters and ambulance crew members.
De Pass had an operation on Sunday afternoon to have a screwing plate put into his thigh.
He was still in hospital and was unsure when he will be cleared to return home.
Said Karen: “He’s awake and everything. He’s doing okay as far as I know.
“He is starting to get up and is slightly mobile, but it could be a long time with that break.”
De Pass bought his Kaituna Valley property in 1975 and owns just under 600ha which houses more than 1300 sheep.
