It was a close call for a peanut worker Thursday morning in Suffolk.
Rescue crews pulled a worker to safety after he fell into a silo partially filled with peanuts.
The 46-year-old worker covered in peanuts had fallen over 30 feet inside the silo at around 9 a.m. Thursday morning.
Witnesses say the worker was on top of one of the 50-foot peanut silos at Birdsong Peanut in Suffolk with another worker. Both were checking the peanut levels when all of a sudden the 46-year-old worker fell 35 feet into the silo.
"There was a worker in the shed there, he came running out hollering for another guy to radio someone for help," said Eddie Bigbie, witness.
Witnesses say within minutes Fire and Rescue crews showed up with large ropes and climbing gear.
Crews climbed the ladders and secured ropes to the catwalks above.
In the meantime another worker helped firefighers make contact with the man inside the silo.
"When we arrived one of the Birdsong employees was in the silo with him. They had him tied to a rope. He was submerged under peanuts so when we got to the top we couldn't see him," said Ted Adams, Batallion Chief, Suffolk Fire and Rescue.
Fire crews were able to send down an oxygen tank to the man inside, but with the unstable peanuts inside the silo the issue still remained - how to get the man out.
"We looked at every angle possible from anything from cutting the silo itself, we were advised my reps on scene that may collapse the silo," Adams said.
Finally crews were able to get him out using ropes and a crane from Suffolk Iron Works.
"He's lucky. If the peanuts had collapsed he would have gone further down and he could have suffocated by the peanuts," said Adams.
The worker refused to be transported to the hospital and instead went back to work.
OSHA says it plans to investigate the issue.
The last time the facility was inspected by OSHA in 2001 it issued four citations. Two of the violations were serious, including an electrical issue and a machine guard violation.
Rescue crews pulled a worker to safety after he fell into a silo partially filled with peanuts.
Witnesses say the worker was on top of one of the 50-foot peanut silos at Birdsong Peanut in Suffolk with another worker. Both were checking the peanut levels when all of a sudden the 46-year-old worker fell 35 feet into the silo.
"There was a worker in the shed there, he came running out hollering for another guy to radio someone for help," said Eddie Bigbie, witness.
Witnesses say within minutes Fire and Rescue crews showed up with large ropes and climbing gear.
Crews climbed the ladders and secured ropes to the catwalks above.
In the meantime another worker helped firefighers make contact with the man inside the silo.
"When we arrived one of the Birdsong employees was in the silo with him. They had him tied to a rope. He was submerged under peanuts so when we got to the top we couldn't see him," said Ted Adams, Batallion Chief, Suffolk Fire and Rescue.
Fire crews were able to send down an oxygen tank to the man inside, but with the unstable peanuts inside the silo the issue still remained - how to get the man out.
"We looked at every angle possible from anything from cutting the silo itself, we were advised my reps on scene that may collapse the silo," Adams said.
Finally crews were able to get him out using ropes and a crane from Suffolk Iron Works.
"He's lucky. If the peanuts had collapsed he would have gone further down and he could have suffocated by the peanuts," said Adams.
The worker refused to be transported to the hospital and instead went back to work.
OSHA says it plans to investigate the issue.
The last time the facility was inspected by OSHA in 2001 it issued four citations. Two of the violations were serious, including an electrical issue and a machine guard violation.
