A 45-year-old man was rescued Sunday evening after becoming trapped in an auger inside a 60-foot silo in Carroll County, prompting a complex rescue operation involving an estimated 80 to 90 emergency responders.
The incident occurred Oct. 11 at a farm near 6066 June Road, just off state Route 171 east of Waynesburg. The man’s legs became entangled in an auger approximately 30 feet above the ground, leaving rescuers facing a difficult extraction involving dangerous gases, limited access and specialized equipment.
Mohawk Valley Joint Fire District Chief Jim Marraccini, who oversaw the operation, told Jordan Miller News that the rescue took approximately two and a half hours and required firefighters to remove portions of the silo’s roof to extract the injured man.
The operation also marked the first emergency rescue involving Carrollton Fire Department’s newly acquired 109-foot ladder truck, which had not yet been officially placed into service.
Deputy among first to reach injured man
According to Marraccini, the emergency call came in at 5:14 p.m. Sunday, with the first emergency unit arriving at 5:24 p.m.
Mohawk Valley Joint Fire District and Quad Ambulance were initially dispatched, but responders quickly recognized that additional resources would be needed.
A Carroll County sheriff’s deputy was among the first to reach the injured man, climbing the silo’s narrow, enclosed ladder to provide assistance.
According to the Carrollton Fire Department, the deputy applied a tourniquet to help control the man’s bleeding. Marraccini also credited a property owner with taking early action to assist the man, saying he understood that makeshift tourniquets had been applied using clothing.
Two Quad Ambulance medics also entered the silo to begin treating the patient.
Marraccini described the man’s injuries as serious, involving both lower extremities. He said the injured man was a relative of the property owners but could not confirm whether he worked at the farm.
Dangerous conditions complicate rescue
One of the greatest challenges involved the potentially hazardous atmosphere inside the silo.
Marraccini explained that silage stored inside the structure can release gases, requiring firefighters to continuously monitor oxygen levels and potentially flammable gases while maintaining ventilation.
An air circulation system connected to a farm tractor helped exchange air inside the silo throughout the operation.
Responders also had to take precautions while removing portions of the roof and metal supports because sparks from cutting equipment could have ignited accumulated gases.
“The more people you have in an IDLH atmosphere, the bigger chance you have of greater fatalities,” Marraccini said, referring to an environment considered immediately dangerous to life or health.
Crews limited the number of personnel inside the structure while others coordinated equipment and rescue operations from outside.
Firefighters determined that the injured man could not be removed through the silo’s narrow access points because the rigid Stokes rescue basket needed to secure him would not fit.
Instead, crews removed portions of the roof and interior metal supports to create an opening large enough to lift him out.
Carrollton’s 109-foot ladder truck was positioned above the silo, allowing firefighters to establish a high-angle rope rescue system extending approximately 30 feet into the structure.
The man was eventually freed from the auger, secured in the rescue basket and lifted through the opening to awaiting emergency personnel.
“It’s a balancing act. It really is,” Marraccini said. “It’s an orchestrated balancing act to try to keep everything on an even keel to be able to get someone out.”
New Carrollton ladder truck plays critical role
The rescue marked the first emergency use of Carrollton Fire Department’s newly acquired 109-foot ladder truck.
Carrollton Fire Chief Shane Thomas told Jordan Miller News that the department received the truck Sept. 3, just 38 days before the incident.
Firefighters had completed several training sessions with the equipment, but the truck had not yet been fully outfitted or officially placed into service.
“While it was not yet officially outfitted and in service, duty called,” the Carrollton Fire Department wrote in a Facebook statement.
Marraccini said the truck’s extended reach was essential because a shorter ladder might not have provided sufficient height to safely conduct the extraction.
The chief noted that the apparatus, which he described as costing more than $1 million, demonstrated its value during its first emergency rescue.
The operation also benefited from specialized training recently completed by Canton firefighters.
Marraccini said two firefighters assigned to Carrollton’s ladder truck also serve with Canton Fire Department and had knowledge of recent high-angle rope rescue training involving Marathon Oil.
Canton’s Technical Rescue Team responded to assist with the ropes, rigging and specialized extraction. Battalion Chief Eric Ohman also responded.
Weather forces ground transportation to Akron
While firefighters worked to free the man, Magnolia and Great Trail fire departments assisted with establishing a landing zone for a STAT MedEvac helicopter at Baxter Church.
However, weather conditions deteriorated after the helicopter landed, preventing it from transporting the patient.
Marraccini said the cloud ceiling dropped too low for the aircraft to safely fly.
The patient was instead transported by Quad Ambulance to a trauma center in Akron.
According to Carrollton Fire Department, dispatchers with the Stark County Sheriff’s Office coordinated with Ohio State Highway Patrol personnel in Stark and Summit counties to arrange an escort.
Troopers were scheduled to meet the ambulance along U.S. Route 30 near Waco and assist with its trip to Akron, helping reduce transportation time.
The department also praised dispatchers from both Carroll and Stark counties for coordinating the numerous emergency agencies involved.
Chief credits teamwork for successful rescue
Marraccini estimated that the man was removed from the silo around 8 p.m., although the exact time had not been verified against dispatch records.
Emergency crews remained on scene until approximately 9:30 to 9:45 p.m.
The man’s condition following transport to the hospital was not immediately available.
The response involved Mohawk Valley Joint Fire District, Carrollton Fire Department, Canton Fire Department, Magnolia Fire Department, Great Trail Fire Department, Quad Ambulance, STAT MedEvac, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Stark County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Marraccini said an estimated 80 to 90 emergency responders and support personnel were involved in the operation.
Throughout the rescue, senior officers from the responding agencies met regularly to coordinate equipment, staffing and operational needs.
The chief praised the professionalism and cooperation of the departments, particularly given the unusual circumstances and the limited opportunities for smaller departments to train together on rescues of this magnitude.
“It wasn’t just any one department singled out that did everything,” Marraccini said. “It was everyone working hand in hand.”
