City of Blair Blair, Wisconsin.
A Texas man died after getting stuck in the City of Blair, Wisconsin, water tank, according to the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a news release from the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin, the death was listed as an “accidental death.” It occurred in the Town of Preston in Trempealeau County.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the person involved in the tragedy was Carlos Medina, 30, of El Paso, Texas. The release was issued on March 24. WQOW confirmed that Medina was the man who died.
On March 23, at about 5:18 p.m., dispatchers received a report of a “male individual” who was “stuck in the City of Blair water tank and needed rescuing,” the release says.
Here’s what you need to know:
Carlos Medina Was Inside the Water Tank Cleaning Sediment Out of a Suction Tube, the Sheriff Says
Trempealeau Co SheriffThe press release on the Wisconsin water tank death.
The Sheriff’s news release provided additional details of the tragedy.
“The subject was inside the water tank cleaning sediment with a 90 foot suction tube out of the tank for the city of Blair,” the release reads.
There were two other workers “on scene with the individual. Investigation indicated the male subject was in the tank with scuba gear and a wet suit for approximately 45 minutes,” the release says.
A man commented on the Sheriff’s Department’s Facebook thread, “In industry, anytime a confined space worker is not feeling 100% in good health they need to come back out (and they should of had an emergency retrieval plan) and this is why.” Another person wrote, “Was there no confined space training? So sad. Prayers to the family.”
A woman wrote, “I’m so sorry to hear about this! It must have been an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking experience for everyone involved. Sending you all my thoughts, prayers, and love during this time.”
Carlos Media Told His Co-Workers He Was ‘Getting Cold,’ the News Release Says
Blair Wisconsin websiteBlair, Wisconsin
Medina “reportedly told his co-workers he was getting cold but continued to work. Co-workers believed the subject shortly thereafter possibly entered into a hypothermic state and lost hand mobility and strength,” the release says.
Co-workers “were unable to get the subject pulled out due to the subject getting tangled in the 90 foot suction tube,” the news release says. “Once first responders and law enforcement arrived on the scene, the subject was approximately six foot under the surface of the water, motionless.”
First responders and law enforcement “with the assistance of the two other workers were eventually able to pull the subject out of the tank and lowered to the ground. Life saving measures were performed but were unsuccessful,” the release says.
Multiple law enforcement officers were involved in assisting the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office, including the Blair Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Blair Fire Department and first Responders, Whitehall Fire Department, Tri-County Ambulance and Gundersen Air, the news release says.
The death is still under investigation by the Sheriff’s Department.
Blair, Wisconsin, is a city of about 1,200 people. It is located in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin, along the Trempealeau River.
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