A “freak accident” on a farm in Wisconsin killed a young farmer and 16 of his cows, and the whole town is in grief. Michael Biadasz, a 29-year-old farmer from Amherst, Wisconsin, died after being overwhelmed by noxious gases that had built up in a manure holding tank on his family’s land. Biadasz was getting ready to pump the tank early in the morning when the catastrophe happened. He has done it safely many times before.
According to the local news site WAOW, Biadasz died from gas toxicity caused by either methane or sulfur oxide emissions. Thirteen cows died right away from the fumes, and three more died soon after, bringing the total number of deaths to 16. The Biadasz family is distraught, and the neighborhood is horrified by the sudden and untimely death.
Bob Biadasz, Michael’s dad and co-owner of Biadasz Farms, said that a “perfect storm” of weather caused the calamity. Officials said that the warm upper air temperatures on the day of the accident formed a “deadly dome of air” that kept the hazardous chemicals close to the ground. The gasses didn’t flow out into the air like they usually do. Instead, they lingered close to the tank, which made them very dangerous.
Michael was there when more workers came to help with the manure removal later that morning. But it was already too late. Scott Rifleman, the Portage County Coroner, told WAOW that the family is “absolutely devastated” by the tragedy. He highlighted how rare the disaster was, saying that gas poisoning deaths usually happen in small or poorly ventilated spaces. The situation made the open-air occurrence much more worrisome. Rifleman said that the weather on that day probably had a big part in trapping the gases and making the area unsafe.
There is an investigation going on to find out what really happened to Biadasz and what else might have played a role. Rifleman said the 29-year-old had emptied the same tank hundreds of times before without any problems. But this time, the weather and the environment formed a deadly situation that no one could have predicted.
The Biadasz family made a touching memorial to Michael in his honor. They placed a line of tractors and other farm tools along the county road that runs past their farm. These were signs of Michael’s life and career. There was a blue tractor, a few red vehicles, and Michael’s own black pickup truck among the line of cars. It stayed still in my mind.
The accident has brought up the issue of agricultural safety again, especially when it comes to how to store manure. A lot of people have used social media to express their sadness and call for change. “One person on Facebook said, ‘Farmers already have a lot to deal with, and now this family has to deal with this freak accident.'” “So sad.”
Experts and groups that work to keep farms safe are now saying that manure storage systems need stronger rules and improved safety standards. The National Agriculture Safety Database (NASD) recommends that places that store or handle manure should have good ventilation and clear warning signs to keep people and animals safe from harmful vapors. They also advise certain safety precautions and monitoring to make it less likely that people will be exposed.
The disaster in Wisconsin is like a sad event that happened in 2007, when five people in a Virginia family perished because a blocked pipe let methane gas build up. These strange instances indicate that even the simplest farming operations can be dangerous.
The death of Michael Biadasz is a sad reminder of the risks that farmers confront every day that they can’t control. His family and friends are still sad, but there is a growing hope that his story may make people more aware of safety issues and avert similar things from happening in the future.