Man rescued from grain bin

Published 2:11 pm Tuesday, August 8, 2017

: David Greibrok was able to walk out of the grain bin before noon on Tuesday after becoming stuck. - Sam Wilmes/Albert Lea Tribune

Firefighters from 6 departments work to save man

OAKLAND TOWNSHIP — A man was saved by first responders and his family on Tuesday after becoming stuck in a grain bin for almost two hours in eastern Freeborn County.

David Greibrok was able to walk out of the grain bin at 16821 890th Ave. after corn had reached the top of his head, said his brother, Allan Greibrok.

First responders used grain rescue tubes and an auger to relieve the pressure of the corn off David Greibrok, said Freeborn County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Todd Earl. A hole was cut in the bin to allow the corn to spill out onto the ground.

A helicopter from Gundersen Lutheran was flown to the scene where a man became stuck in a grain bin on Tuesday in eastern Freeborn County. – Sam Wilmes/Albert Lea Tribune

First responders were called to the scene at 9:55 a.m. Greibrok walked out of the grain bin before noon.

Allan Greibrok said he and his brother were breaking up rotten corn when David Greibrok became stuck, and at one point corn reached above his brother’s head before Allan Greibrok was able to remove some of the corn.

“Next thing I know, I look over and it’s like up to his chest and couldn’t move,” Allan Greibrok said. “Luckily we had his cellphone and were able to call another brother that was outside to shut the auger off, called 911.”

The corn was at the level of David Greibrok’s mouth the entire time he was stuck, according to his brother.

A helicopter from Gundersen Lutheran was flown in, and firefighters from Glenville, Hayward, Myrtle, London, Hollandale and the Albert Lea Fire Department took part in the rescue.

Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag credited the firefighters who responded for the positive outcome.

“I think they are so competent in so many different areas and we’re very fortunate to have them — not just for grain bin rescue but for all the different crazy things that come up,” Freitag said. “These men and women, they answer the page and they come out. They put a plan together and they work well together.

“We’re very fortunate as a county to have all of that.”

The sheriff encouraged farmers to have safety measures in place when working in grain bins to avoid any harmful outcomes.