Man rescued from silo accident

GARRETT, Ind. (WANE) - After being stuck in a grain silo for hours, emergency crews at the Custer Grain Company in Garrett rescue a worker. He was alert and taken to the hospital around 7:45 p.m. Thursday night as a precaution.

Earlier Thursday 50-year-old Melvyn Buck was working inside a silo at Custer Grain Company.

"There was a process of unloading in the bin, he was tied off in the safety harness like he should have and he just got sucked in, and it basically avalanched on him after that," said Garrett Fire Chief Dana Treesh.

The grain was like quicksand. Buck was trapped from the waist down. Crews arrived and found Buck about 30 feet down inside the bin.
 
Firefighters used a hose and buckets to move the grain away from Buck. The process went on for hours.

"It was very time consuming, thousands and thousands of bushels of corn in there that we had to get off him," said Treesh. 

Finally, at 7:30 p.m., Melvyn Buck was taken out of the silo. Crews lowered him down, and his family rejoiced.

"I think there's only one word and that's relief," said Melvyn Buck's daughter Amber Buck. 

For a while, there was some doubt.

"My dad's in there and I dont know if I'll ever get to see him again," said Amber Buck.

Melvyn's daughter Geina is seven months pregnant. She said the baby wouldn't stop kicking.

"Actually she stopped kicking there for a while again, until I said, 'Hi Dad,' and then she started up again," said Melvyn Buck's daughter Geina Hissong.

Now that's it's over, Melvyn's girls will make sure to tell him how they feel.

"That we are here for him and we love him and we dont ever want to lose him," said Amber Buck.

Melvyn Buck was taken to a local hospital for observation. The crew said he is doing fine and he was coherent and alert the entire the time.
 
It took a long time because they used a tube to suck the grain out of the silo.