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BAY COUNTY (WJRT) -- (05/30/11) -- A tragic accident on a Mid-Michigan farm killed a high school student in Bay County.
It happened a little before 9 Monday morning at a dairy farm northwest of Standish on Stevenson Road in Gibson Township.
Tom Osier, and 18-year-old junior at Standish-Sterling High School, was hard at work on this Memorial Day when something went horribly wrong inside a corn silo.
"He was a very nice boy, a young kid and a hard worker," said Phil Osier. Tom was the son of Phil's cousin.
Michigan State Police say Tom was inside the silo, knocking some of the corn loose that had stuck to the sides of the silo. Another employee was working outside the silo when he sensed something was wrong.
"Climbed up in and looked into the silo and was unable to see the other employee and determined at that time he was probably trapped by the grain," said Don Reich of the Michigan State Police.
That other employee climbed down the silo and found Osier at an opening at the bottom, but because of the weight of the corn, could not get him out. Fire personnel arrived but were unable to pull Osier to safety.
"It's probably a lot like quicksand. It probably covered over top of him," Reich said.
It took several hours to remove Osier from the silo.
"It is a dangerous occupation, especially climbing in a silo like [Tom] was doing," Phil said.
News of the accident spread quickly in the farming community. Police say the dairy farm has three full-time employees. Osier was described as a good student and an excellent bagpipe player.
"It's very hard, I know it, what his mom and dad are going through because I went through the same thing. I lost a boy when he was five years old; he drowned," Phil said.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or MIOSHA, was at the farm today and has already started an investigation.
It happened a little before 9 Monday morning at a dairy farm northwest of Standish on Stevenson Road in Gibson Township.
Tom Osier, and 18-year-old junior at Standish-Sterling High School, was hard at work on this Memorial Day when something went horribly wrong inside a corn silo.
"He was a very nice boy, a young kid and a hard worker," said Phil Osier. Tom was the son of Phil's cousin.
Michigan State Police say Tom was inside the silo, knocking some of the corn loose that had stuck to the sides of the silo. Another employee was working outside the silo when he sensed something was wrong.
"Climbed up in and looked into the silo and was unable to see the other employee and determined at that time he was probably trapped by the grain," said Don Reich of the Michigan State Police.
That other employee climbed down the silo and found Osier at an opening at the bottom, but because of the weight of the corn, could not get him out. Fire personnel arrived but were unable to pull Osier to safety.
"It's probably a lot like quicksand. It probably covered over top of him," Reich said.
It took several hours to remove Osier from the silo.
"It is a dangerous occupation, especially climbing in a silo like [Tom] was doing," Phil said.
News of the accident spread quickly in the farming community. Police say the dairy farm has three full-time employees. Osier was described as a good student and an excellent bagpipe player.
"It's very hard, I know it, what his mom and dad are going through because I went through the same thing. I lost a boy when he was five years old; he drowned," Phil said.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or MIOSHA, was at the farm today and has already started an investigation.