Boy rescued after being sucked down into wheat

By Cass Rains, Staff Writer

June 24, 2008 12:24 am

— A 7-year-old Drummond boy was rescued Monday by emergency responders after being sucked down into a grain trailer to his chin.
Drummond Fire Chief David Friend called the boy “very lucky.”
“He was sitting on the side of the truck and the suction of the grain pulled him in,” said Friend. “They were augering grain out of the trailer and into the grain bin.
“It sucked him down to his chin. He was a very lucky boy.”
Friend said the entire Drummond Fire Department responded to the emergency call shortly before noon. He said members of Waukomis and Lahoma fire departments also responded, as well as firefighters from Carrier-Hillsdale, who were in Drummond eating lunch.
“We had to dig him out,” Friend said. “We used boards that were laying around and used our backboards to prevent the flow of grain.”
Friend said rescuers were able to pull the boy from the grain after stopping its flow. He said the boy was “fine” but “scared.”
“He was just scared. Scared to death,” Friend said. “The good Lord was looking out for him.”
Friend said he had seen a similar situation, but it was a long time ago.
“I’ve seen it one time before when I was little,” Friend said. “I was on my uncle’s farm and the little boy didn’t make it.”