Man rescued after eight hours trapped in corn bin

Mark Malecha was lifted out of the bin in a harness around 7:30 p.m. last week Thursday.

 

During his precarious situation Malecha was alert and talking throughout the day, and never complained about any pain. He also was in good shape when he was hoisted out of the bin. After a short hospital visit he could return to his family.

 

Malecha was inside the grain bin chipping away at some frozen corn when the product shifted, police said. He was buried in corn up to his armpits about 13 metres below the top of the bin. His head and one hand were above the surface.

 

Rescuers were alerted at 11.15 a.m. that a man was trapped in a grain silo.

 

Digging him out without disturbing the grain above him was a slow, meticulous project for emergency crews.

 

Rescuers cut an opening in the top of the bin and lowered first responders inside. They worked in shifts, using their hands to remove corn around Malecha, a process that took hours.

 

Later in the day, other crews cut a hole in the side of the structure so they could empty out corn inside the bin.

 

There was concern the corn inside the bin could shift and bury Malecha completely. Workers built a plywood barricade around Malecha to hold back the corn, and trains were stopped to prevent vibrations which could also cause the corn to move.

 

After eight hours of clearing the corn around the man, the rescuers finally managed to get Malecha in a harness and hoist him out of the bin.