Six people have died after a freak accident occurred at a Colorado dairy farm. According to a press release from Southeast Wel Fire Protection District, the fatal accident happened around 6 PM local time on August 20.
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Six Dead After Confined Space Accident At Colorado Dairy Farm
The firefighters responded to a “confined space rescue” at Prospect Valley Dairy in Keenesburg. After arriving at the 32000 block of Weld County Road 18, the crew “took appropriate precautions” when completing the rescue.
“The District extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims,” the statement concluded.
District personnel managed to recover six deceased individuals from the confined space. CBS News reported that one of the victims was a student at Highland High School. The other five were all adult males.
The teen’s school district sent out its condolences in response to the tragic death, per Denver 7. “Our thoughts are with the student’s family and friends during this difficult time,” it said. “We extend our sincere condolences to all who are impacted by this loss.”
According to preliminary findings from the Weld County Coroner’s Office, the affected individuals had some exposure to gas. We don’t yet know the names of the victims, but that may come with time.
The outlet also spoke with a man who claimed he used to work for Prospect Ranch. He had immediately driven over to the farm after hearing about the accident. Sadly, he learned that some of the victims were his friends.
“They started working here about six years ago,” said the man who called himself Inés. “They couldn’t tell me what happened, but something happened. That’s why I came, because they were my friends.”
Complete autopsies are underway and will continue for the next few days. We may soon find out what exactly caused this freak accident that confined the individuals and exposed them to gas.
Weld County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t believe this situation is criminal in nature. While OSHA is conducting a federal investigation, it seems like this was purely accidental.
Dairy Farmers of America gave its own statement concerning the tragedy. “We can confirm that a tragic accident occurred on one of our member farms in Keenesburg, Colo., which has resulted in the death of six people,” it began.
“We are deeply saddened by this incident, and our thoughts and most sincere condolences go out to the friends and families of the deceased. At this early stage, we have no further details.”