Man trapped in grain bin, buried up to chest in corn

MEDINA, Ohio (WOIO/Gray News) - A man was rescued after being trapped in a grain bin, buried up to the chest in corn, fire officials say.

The Medina Fire Department responded to a call at 2:12 p.m. about a man stuck inside a grain bin Wednesday afternoon.

Firefighters said when they arrived on the scene, the man was discovered to be both alert and oriented, but was buried up to his chest by corn.

According to the department, when someone is trapped in grain, they typically can’t move because of the weight of the surrounding material.

Crews first attempted to dig the man out, but those attempts were ineffective as the grain filled back up.

An arriving crew from Engine 2 of the department was able to enter the bin through a side door and rescue the victim using a sling to prevent him from being engulfed deeper, according to fire officials.

Paramedics were able to treat the victim using a grain rescue sleeve, which allows corn to be removed.

After using the sleeve, corn levels sank to below the man’s waist, allowing him to be freed, placed in a Stokes basket and removed from the bin.

Once he was freed, the man was airlifted by a medical crew helicopter to a trauma center. Later that day, he was released from the hospital with no reported injuries.