Brothers Saved In Grain Bin Rescue

On May 22, 2019, three fire departments responded to an emergency at Loyd Brothers Farm in Jackson County. Farm owners Jackie and George Loyd were

trapped in the unrelenting grasp of nearly 8,000 bushels of corn in a grain bin. Responders used a grain bin rescue tube to save the Loyd brothers. Photo courtesy: Franklin County, Tennessee EMA & Rescue

By Mary Wilson

For nearly 45 minutes, Jackie Loyd’s screams for help went unheard, drowned out by the roar of an auger’s engine. Jackie was stuck waist-deep in the unrelenting grasp of nearly 8,000 bushels of corn in a grain bin.

“We had a good price for some corn, and we decided we needed to sell some,” Jackie said, recalling the events of May 22, 2019. “I might’ve been doing something I wasn’t supposed to, but I went up into the grain bin. The corn was bridged up, and I broke the dam of the corn. Then the corn came up on me, and I couldn’t get out.”

Purdue University tracks grain bin entrapments on U.S. farms. Nearly 30 entrapments are reported annually, and 65% of those cases end in death. After nearly an hour, time was ticking for the 76-year-old as he sunk deeper, up to his neck in corn.

“I had a lot of time to talk to God,

and I think he answers prayers,” Jackie said.

His brother and farm partner, 80-year-old George Loyd, was the first person to hear Jackie’s screams. George jumped into action to save his brother, only to become the second victim of the corn’s unyielding clutches.

“I don’t think the corn got higher than waist-deep on me,” George said. “You don’t expect it, but you can’t move. It’s just all that pressure from the corn.” Three fire departments responded to the emergency at Loyd Brothers Farm in Jackson County, including the Scottsboro Fire Department (SFD). In January 2019, SFD employees attended the Alabama Farmers Cooperative Grain Expo where they received grain bin rescue equipment and were trained to use it. Sponsorships from numerous agricultural groups, including the Alabama Wheat & Feed Grain Producers, covered the cost of the rescue equipment.

“When you give a donation like this, you know it may possibly be used to save someone’s life,” said Carla Hornady, director of the Alabama Wheat

Grain Bin Safety Tips u Place warning decals on bin entrances. u Turn off and lock out power

controls to unloading conveyors before entering a bin. u Always use a body harness with a lifeline secured to the outside of the bin and have at least two observers during bin entry. u Establish nonverbal

communication signals. u Secure grain storage areas to prevent unauthorized entry. Provided by the National Ag Safety Database and the Ohio State University Extension

Grain Bin Rescue u Shut off all grain-moving equipment. u Contact local rescue squad or fire department immediately. u If possible, ventilate the bin using the aeration or drying fans. u Ensure power to the auger is locked out so rescuers aren’t injured. u Rescuers should use safety lines and respirators. u For partially submerged victims, build a retaining wall around the person using a rescue tube, plywood sheets, sheet metal or other material. Remove grain from around victim using shovels, buckets or vacuum. u For completely submerged victims, cut at least two V- or U-shaped holes in opposite sides of the bin to drain grain away from the person. The bin may collapse if not evenly unloaded. u Apply care to the victim as soon as possible with special attention to breathing, body temperature and emotional support. u Never give up. Provided by North Dakota State University

In October 2019, Jackie Loyd gathers up some of the corn left scattered on the ground, one of the few lasting reminders of his brush with death on May 22, 2019.

& Feed Grain Producers. “It’s kind of unbelievable that the donation and training happened just months before the Loyds’ accident. I think you can see the hand of God in the timing of everything.”

Along with using the grain bin rescue tube, first responders cut two holes on opposite sides of the grain bin so the corn could flow out and relieve pressure on the victims, which included the brothers and a first responder who got stuck during rescue efforts.

Thanks to the rescue equipment and training, all three were freed four hours after the ordeal started.

Numerous emergency responders required treatment for dehydration and dust inhalation, and George and Jackie were taken to a local hospital for medical care.

Within the week, the brothers were back on the farm working alongside members of their community to clean up the spilled grain, including the

Within a week of the farm accident, members of the North Jackson High School football and baseball teams helped clean up the spilled grain at Loyd Brothers Farm.

North Jackson High School football and baseball teams.

As they returned to their daily farm work, George and Jackie had a newfound appreciation for the hazards of farming.

“We’ve been in and around these grain bins all our lives,” George said. “But you need to practice safety. You need to use your head and not get in a situation like that.”

When accidents do happen, the brothers agree it’s important to act quickly and call in the experts.

“Get first responders as soon as you can,” Jackie said. “We waited a little too long because we kept thinking we could do it ourselves.”

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LOVE T hey were married a long time. Sixty-seven years to be exact. My friend’s daddy had a voice like a tuba and a drawl as thick as sorghum syrup. The man was as tall as a pine and about as skinny, too.

When he met her, she was an 18-year-old, non-English-speaking Mexican. The man: just out of the Army, without any idea of what he wanted in life.

Fate happened the day my friend’s father saw some hoodlums harassing a Mexican girl and her two young sisters outside a cafe in Atlanta. The men made horrible gestures toward the girls. My friend’s father intervened and got his hindparts whooped. The fi ght broke his ribs, but he claimed the girl’s brown eyes were worth it. Theirs was an ill-conceived relationship. Not only did both families oppose the marriage. But neither of the lovebirds spoke the other’s language. They were as diff erent as it got. So they eloped. Eventually, they learned how to speak to one another. It took years of practice. Whenever they’d visit her family, his daddy tried his best to speak a fragmented Spanish. According to my friend, his childhood home was a loving one — with good chicharrones.

In his mother’s elderly years, she came down with headaches. Bad ones. My friend said the torment would linger for days. His daddy would lay beside her on the bed in a dark room. And, since small noises pained her, his father would just listen to her breathe, his ear against her chest.

“My parents were in love,” my friend says. “I used to think everyone’s parents were like that. But I know that’s not how it goes.

“When my mama got sick, it was like someone was killing Daddy from the inside out. That’s when his Parkinson’s got real bad.”

My friend’s mother suff ered so long that when she passed it was a blessing. But his father wasn’t the same afterward. In fact, he was so aff ected he wouldn’t even speak about his late wife. It felt profane to use her name. But it didn’t matter. As it turned out, his daddy would only live 200 days after his mother’s funeral.

When the old man fi nally left this world, they say he smiled, saying, “Today I get to see my Gabriella.” Anyway, maybe you don’t believe in real love. After all, a lot of people don’t. Some folks think the idea of this kind of love is just a well-thought-up myth, suited more for fairytales than daily life. Well. Those people are wrong. ■

Columnist and novelist Sean Dietrich shares tales of common people, the human spirit, traditional regional music and life in the American South through his podcast series at SeanDietrich.com.