A possible cause of death has been identified for the six people who were mysteriously found dead in a dairy farm. Toxicology reports point to a lethal gas.
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The Associated Press reported on October 31 that the Weld County coroner’s office had conducted autopsies and toxicology tests on the six individuals found dead while working at a Colorado dairy farm on August 20.
Five men and a teenager were already dead when discovered by others at Prospect Valley Dairy in Keenesburg. Among them was a young family. Alejandro Espinoza Cruz and his wife, Jorge Sanchez Pena, 36, were among the dead. Cruz’s two sons, Oscar Espinoza Leos, 17, and Carlos Espinoza Prado, 29, were with them.
Aside from the family, the two other victims were Ricardo Gomez Galvan, 40, and Noe Montañez Casañas, 32.
Reportedly, officers immediately assumed toxic gas was to blame. And after the tests, it is believed that exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas.
Exposure to this gas, often called sewer gas, is very dangerous, as it is highly toxic. Its smell is described as being similar to rotting eggs. In the rural communities connected to the Dairy Farm, however, to lose so many in one accident has been a harsh shock.
Disturbingly, olfactory fatigue kicks in very quickly, rendering the gas odorless after even some exposure to it. Working at a farm, it’s likely the group didn’t think anything of the fleeting foul smell.
Communities Reeling Over Death Of Six
“People are in shock,” said Reverend Thomas Kuffel. The priest spoke to AP. “Everybody in the ranching and dairy community knows it’s difficult, hard work and there are accidents. But this is very foreign to them, in that accidents are typically one or two people.”
The local communities got to work fundraising for the families affected by the tragic losses.
First responders had to enter a confined space to retrieve the bodies. In such confined spaces, toxic gas becomes especially dangerous.
Officials have said little about the incident, however. Further details on what exactly happened or how the group of six became exposed to the lethal gas is still unclear.