Man injured by falling tree at NC State Fair returns to work for opening

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A man who was injured when a tree fell on his trailer at the NC State Fair Thursday night returned to work for the fair's opening on Friday.

"My shoulders hurting, my ribs are hurting, just real sore," gate attendant Goaley Boggs told ABC11 on Friday.

But that couldn't stop him from working on opening day.

"I like doing the gate stuff and you meet so many nice people," he said.

The 67-year-old was injured when a tree fell on his trailer while he was inside as Tropical Storm Michael battered the Triangle.

"It was such a shock and then all of a sudden I have a tree on me and I was trying to push a tree off," Boggs said.

Now a gate captain, Boggs is also a retired Knightdale fire captain. He's delivered babies and saved lives. But Thursday night, he was the one who needed rescuing.

"It's really weird. Riding in an ambulance laying down in one when I rode in them helping other people," he said.

Boggs riding back to the fairgrounds Friday he saw something he didn't notice before behind his trailer. A lamp post in the shape of a cross.

"What do you think when you see that above your trailer?"

"You better check your faith," he said. "I got two grand boys. I got a son and a daughter. It makes you think. You can be here one minute and bam, gone the next so my thing is you better enjoy life while you're here."