A man who was found dead in a grain bin in eastern Iowa has been identified by authorities.

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Last Friday, emergency responders were called when a man was trapped in a grain bin.

According to WHO 13, emergency responders found Robert Wade Chittick, 63, of Williamsburg buried under ten feet of corn.

Emergency responders were dispatched to Kinze Manufacturing around 7:30 a.m. where they worked for an hour at the scene to find Chittick. He was declared dead at the scene.

According to the sheriff’s office, the bin was leased to Circle J Grain in Williamsburg from Kinze Manufacturing. The bin has a 20,000-bushel capacity.

According to an article in KCCI, the incident did not involve any Kinze employees, however, some did assist first responders on the scene.

This incident acts as a reminder of just how dangerous working in grain bins can be.

The end of February is National Grain Bin Safety week, and even though that was a month ago, the message is still equally important.

Waterloo Fire Department told KWWL that throughout the year, their crew goes through multiple pieces of training a year that simulate grain bin rescues.

Even during training, which is a very controlled environment, the department says they see the effects these incidents have quickly- such as dimpled skin.

Many accidents happen when the bins are being unloaded. This is when the grain is moving which can cause it to “engulf” people in just seconds. Once you are surrounded, the grain puts so much pressure on your body that pulling you out requires more force than you can withstand.

However, if you do find yourself in a situation where you do get stuck, it’s important not to panic because more movement can cause you to be sucked in faster.

 

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