For the Tomahawk Leader
TOWN OF PINE RIVER – A man who had sustained injuries while doing maintenance work in a silo in the Town of Pine River was successfully extricated from the silo and flown by helicopter to a local hospital.
The Pine River Fire Department and First Responders, deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, and Merrill EMS were dispatched to the scene at 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7, a post on the Pine River Fire Department’s Facebook page said.
According to the post, initial reports said a man had been doing routine maintenance inside a silo when he was caught in an auger, injured, and trapped approximately 30 feet above the ground.
“Upon arrival, the Pine River incident commander conducted a size up and requested additional resources, including a ladder truck from the City of Merrill, to gain access through the top of the 50’ silo,” the post stated. “This mutual aid is provided thanks to the MABAS Box Alarm system as a part of division 155.”
EMS also requested that a medical helicopter respond to the farm due to a potentially lengthy extrication, according to the post. The 911 center sent Aspirus Medevac to the scene, and the helicopter landed in a nearby field and waited during the extrication process.
The post said Pine River firefighters and a Merrill Fire Department paramedic gained access to the man and determined that his injuries were severe. Due to the size of the opening, a Stokes basket could not be immediately lowered into the silo, so firefighters used saws to widen the opening to allow access.
It took nearly 90 minutes to extricate the victim from the silo and lower him to the ground, where additional paramedics were waiting. The victim was flown to the trauma center at Aspirus, the post said.
Pine River Fire Department Chief John Uttech noted that over a dozen volunteer and career firefighters were on the scene, four of whom are certified fire instructors.
“None of them had ever seen, much less had ever heard of, an actual recovery of a viable patient from an incident such as this,” the post said.
Uttech said if it were not for the “tremendous teamwork on the scene,” the incident would not have had a positive ending.
“The Pine River Fire Department wished to extend our continued prayers for the recovery of the victim, and we are grateful for all of our partners in making this incident a successful rescue,” the post stated.