One person is dead after a grain bin accident in rural Grand Island.
According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, around 10:45 a.m. Thursday, deputies responded to a farm in the 6600 block of North Road, south of Grand Island, after it was reported a man was trapped in a grain bin.
The man, identified as Dale Bockmann, was located deceased in the grain bin. Next of kin has been notified. According to the sheriff’s office, this incident was investigated and determined to be an accidental death.
A family member asked NTV to share safety information in hopes of saving others.
According to Nebraska Extension it takes just ten seconds to become entrapped in grain up to the waist while working in a grain bin and 25 seconds to become completely submerged.
Experts say grain in poor condition can increase the risks.
“Many entrapments result from someone entering a bin or structure to break loose clumped, spoiled grain. Keep the grain in good condition to eliminate the need to enter the bin,”; said Edward Sheldon, research associate, Purdue Agricultural Safety and Health Program in a news release this week.
Purdue found last year saw a roughly 40 percent increase in the number of reported cases involving agricultural confined spaces.
In addition, of the total number of confinement cases, 42 grain-related entrapments represented a 44.8% increase over 2021. This was the highest number of reported grain entrapments in over a decade. According to the authors, grain entrapments are the most common type of agricultural confined space incident.
