Rescue shifts to recovery after employee is trapped in grain silo, SC official says

A rescue attempt has shifted into a recovery mission Monday in South Carolina after a man was trapped inside a grain bin, the Florence County Fire and Rescue Services said.

For hours, emergency responders tried to save an employee who was trapped in a tank at Southeastern Grain Company, Fire and Rescue Services Coordinator Sam Brockington said in an interview with The State.

The conclusion was made rescuers could not get the man out before he suffocated without jeopardizing their safety.

“We have determined a rescue is not possible, and our focus has shifted to a recovery mission,” Brockington said.

The Florence County Coroner identified the man as Andrew Rupard, and an autopsy on the 25-year-old Timmonsville man will be conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleson, WMBF reported.

Just before 9 a.m., emergency workers responded to a call about a man trapped inside a grain elevator, according to Brockington. The man was at the top of the tank with another employee when he fell in and was stuck in the silo.

First responders determined the rescue would be “extensive,” and called for assistance from other agencies, Brockington told The State. More than 30 emergency workers were at the company’s grain tank by noon.

Southeastern Grain Company is located on South Scurry Road near Lake City, according to Brockington. That is about 70-80 miles east of Columbia.

Emergency workers — which included members of the South Lynches, Olanta, Howe Springs and Windy Hill fire departments, along with Florence County Fire and Rescue and sheriff’s deputies — found it was not practical to enter the grain bin from the top, Brockington said.

Now an effort will be made to cut into the side of the tank to make the recovery, but that will be challenging with it elevated 30 feet off the ground, according to Brockington.

He said he’s hopeful the process will be completed in one to two hours.

“We have the family and employee’s concerns at heart,” Brockington said.

Information on exactly how the man got trapped in the grain bin was not available. No other injuries were reported, Brockington told The State.

Both the Florence County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office will investigate the death.

This in not the first time this year someone has died after being trapped in a grain tank.

On July 29, a worker died after getting trapped in a grain silo on a North Carolina farm, The State reported.

Just four days prior, a man was rescued from a silo on Cactus Family Farms in Orangeburg County after being trapped inside for about eight hours, The State reported.

A week earlier in Ohio, two men died after they became trapped in a grain silo, McClatchy newsgroup reported.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.

This story was originally published November 4, 2019 at 11:01 AM.

Noah Feit

The State

803-771-8435

Noah Feit is a Real Time reporter with The State focused on breaking news, public safety and trending news. The award-winning journalist has worked for multiple newspapers since starting his career in 1999. Support my work with a digital subscription