A grain elevator employee was rescued on November 27 after becoming trapped in a grain bin at Minn-Kota Ag Products West Terminal in Mooreton, North Dakota. Multiple emergency agencies collaborated to save the worker who was stuck up to his shoulders near the bin's door.
The Mooreton Fire Department was initially dispatched to the scene and requested additional support from neighboring fire departments in Wyndmere, Lidgerwood, and Wahpeton. Joining the rescue effort were CHI St. Francis Ambulance Service, Sanford AirMed and the Richland County Sheriff's Office.
Joseph Pikarski, Mooreton assistant fire chief, reported the employee did not appear to have obvious injuries, but was airlifted to Sanford Medical Center in Fargo as a precautionary measure.
The incident highlights ongoing safety challenges in agricultural settings. According to the Purdue University Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department's latest annual report, the agricultural sector continues to face significant risks related to confined space incidents. The 2023 Summary of U.S. Agricultural Confined Space-related Injuries and Fatalities documented 27 grain entrapments nationwide, with over 64% occurring in Midwestern and Corn Belt states.
Minn-Kota Ag Products is a grain marketing and agricultural supply company operating in the southern Red River Valley region of Western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota, providing services including chemical, fertilizer, seed, and grain elevator operations.
