Blogs » Latest News

75-year-old man gets trapped in corn bin, dies

By ASSOCIATED PRESS Monday, September 14, 2009 - 8:05 p.m.

ELLSWORTH, Wis. (AP) — Authorities in western Wisconsin say a 75-year-old man is dead after being trapped inside a corn storage bin.

Pierce County Sheriff’s deputy Robin Kivel says Patrick Harrington was trapped in the bin on Monday afternoon in El Paso Township while it was being loaded with corn. The township is located just east of Ellsworth.

Rescue workers tried to empty the corn bin and find Harrington. He was found nearly an hour and a half later and couldn’t be revived.

Authorities are investigating the incident.

reader COMMENTS

Click here to view reader comments

(7)

Synergy08
Sep 15, 2009 at 12:05 a.m.
Suggest removal

regardless, a gentleman died working. Very sad

SarahB1
Sep 14, 2009 at 11:39 p.m.
Suggest removal

Sounds like maybe he was buried beneath the corn.

JohnDoe
Sep 14, 2009 at 10:32 p.m.
Suggest removal

Ummmm...this story refers to corn in a "corn storage bin" not silage in a silo.

Silage is where the fumes come from, not corn.

prevention
Sep 14, 2009 at 9:32 p.m.
Suggest removal

Those of us that don't quite understand farming and filling the bins don't fully comprehend this act. This that know what they're doing also know the dangers.

janesvillean
Sep 14, 2009 at 9:10 p.m.
Suggest removal

This happens much less frequently than it used to, but apparently at least in older silos they like to be in there to help arrange the silage. Seems like it can be fine 99 times in a row and then the 100th time you get methane fumes instead of oxygen.
.
At least it wasn't a situation where one person goes in after another and the deaths multiply, like the one where seven people were killed. My heart goes out to the family.

Belcher
Sep 14, 2009 at 8:43 p.m.
Suggest removal

why was he in the bin when it was being loaded with corn?? yeah that is pretty much death.

Before you post a comment, consider this:

Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy Agreement

Keep it clean. Comments that are obscene, vulgar or sexually oriented will be removed. Creative spelling of such terms or implied use of such language is banned, also.
Don't threaten to hurt or kill anyone.
Be nice. No racism, sexism or any other sort of -ism that degrades another person.
Harassing comments. If you are the subject of a harassing comment or personal attack by another user, do not respond in-kind. Hit the "Suggest Removal" button on offensive comments.
Share what you know. Give us your eyewitness accounts, background, observations and history.
Do not libel anyone. Libel is writing something false about someone that damages that person's reputation.
Ask questions. What more do you want to know about the story?
Stay focused. Keep on the story's topic.
Help us get it right. If you spot a factual error or misspelling, email newsroom@gazettextra.com or call 1-800-362-6712.
Remember, this is our site. We set the rules, and we reserve the right to remove any comments that we deem inappropriate.

Post Comment

Commenting requires registration.

News:

Opinion:

Blogs | Columns | Political Cartoons | Polls

Sports:

Multimedia:

Community:

Births | Couples | Obituaries | Death Notices

Blogs

Blog List | Latest Blog Entries

Services:

Reader Rewards | Retail Locations

Copyright ©2007 Bliss Communications Inc. All rights reserved. Use of this material and this site are subject to the GazetteExtra Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Content may not be published, broadcast, re-distributed or re-written.