SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — A worker at an industrial site in Ohio died after becoming trapped in a gravel hopper, authorities said.
The man, who was in his 60s, was working at Enon Sand and Gravel in Bethel Township, Clark County, the Springfield News-Sun reports.
Township fire chief Jacob King said the man reportedly noticed a conveyer belt that wasn’t working under a hopper. Initial reports indicate that he may have climbed to the top of the hopper to try to dislodge gravel before falling in.
County sheriffs were first to reach the scene and two deputies tried to free the man, but the hopper was made of heavy steel and was difficult to dismantle, King said. Rescue attempts were unsuccessful and a recovery operation began, as crews worked to disassemble the hopper from the outside and dig gravel out from the inside, he said.
County sheriffs and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating. The worker’s identity hasn’t been released.
