Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Wednesday, August 6, 2014
(SWITZ CITY) - Thanks to the quick action of rescue workers and equipment provided by Pioneer a farmer is safe today.
Rescue crews were called to the grain bin around 5 p.m. Monday on County Road 250 North located on the White Farms, south of Worthington after 81-year-old Bill White became entrapped in the grain.
Farmhands and personnel from the Fairplay Grant Fire Protection Territory out of Switz City were able to rescue White. Fire Chief Bryan Woodall told the Greene County Daily World that White was talking and was able to walk out of the grain bin with assistance.
According to rescue workers, White and a farmhand had been working to auger some grain out of the bin, when White stepped through an open door, the grain avalanched over the top of him and he became trapped.
The farmhand immediately called for help, from White's two sons, who are both members of the Fairplay Grant Fire Department and trained in farm rescues.
They then called 911 and an AirEvac helicopter was notified.
The men started placing plywood around White to protect him and so they could distribute their weight across the grain as they worked to free their father.
Once additional rescue personnel arrived on the scene, they used a grain bin rescue tube, which works like a vacuum to remove the grain. The piece of equipment was purchased by Pioneer and donated to the fire department several years ago.
Once White was freed he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for a medical evaluation.
Also assisting at the scene were firefighters from the Worthington Fire Department, along with personnel from several agencies including the Bloomfield Police Department and Greene County Sheriff's Department.
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