Three brothers died in a freak accident after they were apparently trapped in a manure pile and passed out from the fumes at their livestock farm in St. Henry, Ohio.
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The men were discovered by rescues on Tuesday afternoon and were reportedly unresponsive in the pile. St. Henry Fire Chief Matt Lefeld said in a statement that Todd Wuebker,31, and his older brothers Gary,37, and Brad,35, were working on a manure pump before they were overwhelmed by the strong fumes.
Before his death, Brad called his godfather, David Wuebker, to alert him that Gary was stuck in the pit but by the time he arrived at the scene, the men were already unconscious. According to the Daily Mail, manure piles can produce dangerous gases such as hydrogen sulfide, methane, carbon monoxide, and ammonia.
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The men were transported to a local hospital where they later died from their ailment. An autopsy report revealed that Gary and Todd passed away first by asphyxiation and Brad died later that evening.
Todd leaves behind a wife and three young children and the brothers’ funeral is scheduled for Aug. 16.