KETV-7 Omaha’s Maggie Cunningham has reported on an incident at Farmer's Cooperative in Raymond, NE, where an employee Dave Maier, was entrapped in grain for two hours. Employees were transferring grain between bins when an auger got stuck and Maier entered the bin to unclog it. The auger started again and packed grain on the walls of the bin came down, trapping Maier. Another employee was able to shut off the auger, and the group of employees dug out one of Maier’s legs.
When fire crews arrived they were forced to use “plywood, back boards, even Lancaster County Sheriff deputies' bulletproof shields to try to dam off the grain,” after they were unable to use a cofferdam to free him. The fire department eventually cut holes in the side of the bin to remove grain. The rescue was made difficult by the packed grain on the sides of the bin continuing to fall as rescue effort were underway.
