Photos: IA Firefighters Rescue Worker from Grain Bin

A man “trapped in corn up to his chest” as he was sucked down into a grain bin was saved in what Iowa firefighters have called a treacherous rescue.

The Cedar Rapids Fire Department was called to help rescue the man from the grain bin at a farm the afternoon of Thursday, Jan. 27, according to a department Facebook post.

“Making this rescue even more treacherous was the way the corn caved-in on the victim,” officials said. “One side stayed higher than the other and threatened to engulf the victim. Firefighters had to employ these specialized tools and an exceptional level of finesse in performing the rescue.”

As the victim was being pulled down into the corn, firefighters from Cedar Rapids and Jefferson- Monroe say they were able to isolate him with the use of specialized panels. They then removed grain trapping him, with help from Cedar Rapids Public Works vacuum trucks to “move the massive load of loose corn.”

“Once freed from the entrapment, he was removed from the silo through a hole cut in the side,” the department said.

Following the rescue, the man was taken to a local hospital.

At least 35 “grain-related entrapments” occurred in 2020, as reported by the Agricultural Safety and Health Program at Purdue University. Of the 35 entrapments reported, 20 were fatal.

Cedar Rapids is in eastern Iowa.

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