Story by Don Steen
Luce Fire Territory and other area fire departments rushed out the afternoon of Thursday, June 2, in response to one of the more harrowing calls one can get in farm country, an entrapment in a grain bin. Seasoned Richland farmer Phillip Schmidt was working on a grain bin when he noticed a plug and climbed in to remove it. Unfortunately, when the plug gave way, the grain quickly began flowing and sucked him down to his waist.
In these situations, every heartbeat counts. Once an individual begins to sink into grain, escape becomes impossible within a few seconds. Every second after that makes rescue that much more difficult. In less than half a minute, an adult can be completely submerged.
For this reason, work inside grain bins is generally quite restricted if not avoided outright, especially when a silo is actively being emptied. However, as with every profession or daily car drive, everyone eventually takes an ill-advised shortcut.
“You get complacent,” said Luce Fire Territory Assistant Chief Scott Middleton.
Fortunately, Schmidt had been working around grain bins his whole life, and immediately recognized the severity of his situation. He kept a level head and managed to effectively communicate to those working with him, allowing him to be secured with a rope and get all machinery to be shut off. This greatly reduced his rate of sinking, allowing him to keep his upper body free. However, Schmidt was still trapped and would remain so without specialized equipment and assistance. Friction and the sheer weight and pressure of that much stored grain makes simply pulling a victim out all but impossible.
Area fire departments mustered quickly as soon as the call went out, recognizing the considerably involved rescue effort that lay ahead. Chrisney Volunteer Fire Department, Rockport Ohio Township Fire Department and Spencer County Emergency Medical Services quickly followed Luce firefighters to the scene, joined by Yankeetown and Boonville fire and rescue workers.
Middleton said Yankeetown and Boonville firefighters’ support was much appreciated, as their trucks were better outfitted for high-angle rescues, giving rescuers easier access to begin work. Time was still of the essence. Even tied off with rope, the soft grain kept sinking deeper, threatening to drag Schmidt with it.
In response, firefighters managed to secure the trapped farmer in a grain rescue tube. As the name suggests, this piece of equipment is lowered into the grain around the trapped individual to keep grain from completely enveloping him, as well as relieve some pressure. This bought more time, but it quickly became apparent that rescue would be too difficult while the grain bin was still full.
With assistance from Tri-State Towing and Recovery, equipment was brought in to cut holes into the bin closer to ground level. Gravity and a grain pump eventually emptied the bin to the point that Schmidt could be removed safely.
Middleton, who works at Midwest Ag System along with Assistant Rockport Fire Chief Jeff Harris, noted that the two of them are always on standby when these cases pop up, due to their experience in the industry. Indeed, Spencer County fire departments have three grain rescue tubes at their disposal and related equipment, stored across the county to ensure ready access. The high number of local firefighters with at least some degree of farm experience also helps.
While grain entrapments are rare, this is the second such instance in Spencer County within the past year. Before that, Middleton said the county had been decades removed from the last reported incident requiring emergency help.
Nationwide Insurance reported 35 grain entrapment cases across the country in 2020. Of those, 20 were fatalities. Indeed, between 1962 and 2019, Nationwide Insurance estimated around 60% of all documented entrapment cases were fatal in the end. Victims of these incidents have almost no margin for error when it comes to escape, and only moments more to take life-saving action as Schmidt and those with him did. Even someone secured with a rope can easily succumb to asphyxiation if not rescued quickly, due to gases in the confined space or the pressure of the grain on their chest.
Middleton was pleased to report that Schmidt emerged from his ordeal unharmed, albeit with quite a mess to clean up. As during the emergency, however, he had plenty of help from neighbors when that time came.
“He was hard at it the next morning,” said Middleton. “We’re all neighbors out in the country.”
Photos courtesy of Luce Fire Territory
