LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. (WTVF) — It was a race against time to save a farmer's life in Lawrence County. This was after he fell into a grain bin and was buried up to his neck.
Video from inside the rescue operation shows first responders working to pull the man to safety. These grain bin or silo accidents are terrifying and dangerous to work, sometimes ending with deadly outcomes. A death happened with these circumstances last year, and another involving a child in 2018.
That was not the case this time thanks to quick response by highly-trained first responders. Those rescuers inside the grain bin working frantically to save a farmer's life, who found himself suddenly trapped in a huge mound of corn.
Rescuers compare it to being caught in quicksand.
"It's a force that pulls you down and collapses down on top of you at the same time and puts an immense amount of pressure on your body," said Tyler McDow with Lawrence County Volunteer Fire Rescue.
First responders called to the scene used ropes to rappel down into the grain bin from above.
Once inside, they found the farm nearly buried.
"The initial call we got was buried to his neck. He was covered to just right below his mouth," said McDow.
Fate intervened as another inch or two and the farmer would have suffocated to death.
But he was conscious and breathing as crews here started installing something called a Great Wall device, hammering it down around his body to hold the loose corn back.
Then a vacuum was used to remove the corn until the man could finally be freed.
He then was removed through an emergency side access door on the bin, incredibly unharmed
Considering so many of these incidents end badly, first responders were gratified by this result.
They train for these very rescues — with equipment like this specialized Grain Bin Rescue truck — often paid for by donations from farmers themselves.
"In a business where we have a lot of loses, it's good to have a win. I'm proud of everybody," said McDow.
It certainly took a team effort with Henryville and Lawrence County Fire, Ethridge Fire and Rescue, County EMS, the sheriff's office and 911 responding.
All worked together to save a life.
