This could have been even worse if the daughter and others in the family had gone in," Michael said. "A daughter may have gone up to look and, luckily, she did not go in to follow them because she would have been overcome as well. His second son followed, but was also overcome. The eldest Beiler jumped in to help, but was overcome by the gas. One of Beiler's sons was working in the silo when his father checked on him, Michael said, citing first responder reports. The former is colorless and odorless, while the latter has a strong bleach-like odor and can appear yellow to reddish-brown.īeiler and his sons, Penn State agricultural and biological engineering professor Judd Michael said, most likely inhaled carbon dioxide. Silo gas - formed by the natural fermentation of chopped silage shortly after it is placed in the silo - is not one of the leading causes of farming fatalities, but can be one of the most toxic.Ĭarbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide are two of the most prevalent gases found in silos.
The silo is about 70 feet tall, Centre Hall Volunteer Fire Company Lt. Austin Brown said. It happens quick."įirst responders were dispatched about 7 a.m. to the farm along the 2900 block of Lower Brush Valley Road. "Silo gas is a dangerous thing," Centre County Farm Bureau President Dave Fetterolf said. 21-POTTER TOWNSHIP - Three people died Wednesday after they were trapped in a silo on an Amish farm in Potter Township, pushing the number of accidental deaths at the homestead this year to four.Īndrew Beiler, 47, and his two sons - a 19-year-old and a 14-year-old whose names were not released - died of asphyxiation due to silo gases, Centre County Deputy Coroner Jason Brooks wrote in a statement.
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