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Rescue And Recovery Efforts Underway At Grain Bin In Grant Park, Illinois

GRANT PARK, Ill. (CBS)-- There are a grain bin rescue and recovery efforts underway in Grant Park, Illinois not far from Manteno, about 55 miles south of Chicago.

The incident took place just before 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. It is Farmers Elevator Co. of Manteno.

CBS 2's Steven Graves has the latest.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is on the scene as well as a number of emergency vehicles. They responded to a report of a man who fell about 50 to 70 feet in the grain bin. Officials later found out another man was trapped in the process of trying to save the other.

According to Scott O'Brien, Chief of the Manteno Community Fire Protection District, the call out was for one man in the bin, but it was later discovered two men were in the space.

"One was in there trying to help the other," O'Brien said. "(That person) was successfully extracted and taken to the hospital for observation."

 

However, rescuers were not able to speak with the other man as of recently. Both men worked for the same company, Whitaker Grain.

OSHA officials are investigating. There have been inspections at the company but no violations.

O'Brien said it's unclear how the incident happened. They fell from a height of 50 to 70 feet.

"The rescue teams are setting up a system. We're going to have to rescue from the top. And they're actually building a rigging system to go in to put the patient in the basket and go in to bring them out," O'Brien said.

 

 

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