Tragic Weld County Dairy Deaths: What We Know So Far

Tragic Weld County Dairy Accident Shakes Northern Colorado

More details are coming to light after a tragic find in Weld County rocked Northern Colorado.

According to a report from the Southeast Weld Fire District, on Wednesday, August 20th crews were called to a dairy farm located around the 32000 block of Weld County Road 18.

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Weld County Dairy Tragedy Details Emerge

They were called to assist in a confined space rescue approximately 30 miles northeast of Denver in Keenesburg. 

These responders arrived at the scene at approximately 6:00 PM, according to reports.

Details About the Weld County Dairy Incident and Victims

Denver7 confirmed that the area described in the initial report took them to Prospect Valley Dairy which is a member farm of Dairy Farmers of America.

Crews at the scene reportedly "took appropriate precautions to enter the confined space to perform rescue operations."

These measures were not successful.

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Officials confirmed that the district personnel recovered the bodies of six individuals.

"The District extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims."

Weld County Dairy Accident: Injuries, Hospital Updates, and Investigation Details

Details surrounding this incident are being kept under wraps at the moment as investigations continue.

There are some things that we do have confirmation on.

Officials from the Weld County Coroner's Office and Denver7 confirm that all of the six individuals were male. In another report from Colorado Public Radio, the victims were also confirmed to be Hispanic.

Identity of the Six People Involved in Weld County Dairy Tragedy

One of the victims has been confirmed to be a student at Highland High School, a school that is a part of Weld County School District RE-9.

"This tragedy has deeply affected our school district and community," district officials said in a statement on social media.

Counseling and support services are being offered to students and staff to help them deal with the aftermath of this tragedy. The name of this student has not been released to the public yet.

Were There Any Survivors?

Reports confirm that three people who are connected to this incident were admitted at UCHealth in Greeley and have been released.

Confined Space Deaths in Colorado, Was It An Accident?

The county sheriff's office are thinking that this was an accident.

There is no word on where this "confined space" was on the dairy farm.

Weld County Officials Investigating As Possible Gas Exposure

Officials from the Weld County Coroner's Office are investigating this as a possible, "consequence of gas exposure in a confined space."

Denver7 shared a clip from the call between dispatchers and first responders which made a mention of H₂S or hydrogen sulfide.

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A gas exposure of this magnitude could have been caused by a plethora of things.

Toxic Gas Exposures On Colorado Farms

Manure slurry, a liquid manure that is made from livestock waste, can produce toxic gases like methane, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide.

These gases, specifically hydrogen sulfide in a confined space can cause, "cause rapid unconsciousness and death at high concentrations.," according to experts.

In a report from Ag Proud, manure gas is the "most well-known agricultural hazard."

Again, there is no official confirmation on what caused the death of these six individuals.

This is a developing story. We will keep you updated as more information comes out regarding this incident.

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