Grain bin rescue

A trapped farmer was rescued on Thursday evening, August 7, after he became stuck inside a grain bin. At approximately 7:45 p.m., emergency units were called to Bernsten Farms located at 3061 Utah Road, La Harpe, about nine miles northeast of Iola, to the report of a 67-year-old man trapped in a 10,000-bushel grain bin containing corn. The Allen County Sheriff’s Office says it was reported that the man did not fall in but was already inside the bin made of galvanized steel. Along with the Allen County Sheriff’s Office, rescue units from La Harpe, Iola, Colony, and Anderson County responded to the scene. After almost four hours, the man was extracted from the grain bin and transported by ambulance to Allen County Regional Hospital in Iola. An air ambulance that had been called in and was waiting in a nearby field was not needed. Deputies said that the man was given water and was talking with rescuers as efforts to extract him safely were underway. At one point, it was reported that the man was almost neck-deep in the corn. Deputies on scene report that all the departments worked well together as the temperatures outside the grain bin remained in the mid-80s, and once the proper safety measures had been installed, there was always at least one person inside the bin with the trapped man. Photos courtesy of the Allen County Sheriff’s Office.