Two men, a father and son, were rescued after being found unconscious in a manure pit in the town of Oldehove.
UPDATE: 10:56 a.m., Tuesday, 22 May
Gerben Verkleij, the 15-year-old who fell into the manure silo, passed away on 17 May. His father attempted to rescue his son, but his father also lost consciousness in the rescue attempt. The two family members were transported to UMCG, where Gerben passed away five days later.
Original story below:
The Groninger Internet Courant reports that the men, who were found at a farm on the Aalsumerweg, were transported to the hospital in critical condition. It is not clear how long they were in the manure pit.
Dagblad van het Noorden writes that one the men likely fell into the pit and the other one attempted to save him. Multiple ambulances, a medical transport helicopter and fire trucks reported to the scene on Saturday morning.
Manure pit accidents are relatively common: they produce ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, which displace oxygen and make it very difficult to breathe. There are often multiple victims in manure pit accidents as each person making a rescue attempt often falls unconscious. Around 30 people have died in manure pits since 1980.
