Corn bin incident claims farmer’s life
Patrick Harrington, 75, El Paso, died Monday, Sept. 14 after he became trapped inside a corn bin while it was being unloaded.
Patrick Harrington, 75, El Paso, died Monday, Sept. 14 after he became trapped inside a corn bin while it was being unloaded.
Authorities were notified of the accident at the Patrick and Margaret Harrington farm, W3593 610th Ave., at 1:55 p.m.
Ellsworth firefighters and EMS personnel “worked tirelessly to empty the corn bin and locate the missing man” for nearly 90 minutes before he was located, according to Pierce sheriff's deputy Robin Kivel.
A medical helicopter from Life Link was also summoned to the scene and its staff assisted with the rescue attempt.
Medical Examiner Sue Dzubay said Harrington had been working with several semi-drivers, unloading the 18,000 bushel bin throughout the day. A driver had just repositioned his truck and exited the cab to discover Harrington missing. After a short search around the farm, workers discovered a pole inside the bin, leading them to speculate that Harrington may have gone inside in an attempt to free a blockage near the bin's base.
There was about 4,000 bushels of corn remaining in the bin when the accident occurred.
Kivel said in a press release that the incident remains under investigation.
Tags: corn bin, news, death, harrington
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