Rescuers detail life-saving operation to free worker from grain silo
A man who became trapped in a grain silo in central Victoria last week is lucky to be alive, according to rescuers involved in the operation.
Last Tuesday, a man in his 60s became trapped in a grain silo at a GrainCorp facility in Dunolly, central Victoria. Emergency services were called to the scene around 3:30pm after workers had been unable to free him themselves. The Country Fire Authority's (CFA) Bendigo-based specialised rescue team, Oscar One Technical Rescue Brigade, joined the operation, led by brigade captain Karl Shay.
Shay described the man's distress and pain, caused by grain pressing against his leg and an auger bracket. Rescuers used metal barricades, including corrugated iron and road signs, to create a barrier around the trapped man. They gradually removed the grain, preventing higher levels from collapsing further. The man was flown to hospital for observation and released the following day.
Emergency services, including Fire Rescue Victoria, Victoria Police, the SES, and Ambulance Victoria, were involved in the rescue, which was declared safe at 7:08pm. CFA commander Hugh Kelly praised the successful cooperation between emergency services in achieving a positive outcome. An ongoing WorkSafe investigation is examining the incident.
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