116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Firefighters rescue man from corn silo near Swisher
Stephen Schmidt
Jan. 27, 2022 7:50 pm, Updated: Jan. 27, 2022 9:00 pm
SWISHER — Cedar Rapids and Swisher firefighters rescued a man Thursday afternoon who was trapped in a corn grain silo north of Swisher.
Firefighters were called to the farm on Tharp Road SW where a man was trapped up to his chest. He’d stepped in a cavity that gave way and sucked him downward, according to a Cedar Rapids Fire Department Facebook post.
Cedar Rapids and the Jefferson-Monroe (Swisher) firefighters used specialized isolation panels to isolate the man and keep him from sinking further into the grain.
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They removed the grain trapping the man, with help from the Cedar Rapids Public Works Department that sent large vacuum trucks to move the corn.
Firefighters cut a hole in the side of the silo to help the man get out.
The man — who was not identified — was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Firefighters from the Cedar Rapids and Jefferson-Monroe (Swisher) Fire Departments teamed up to save a man from a corn silo near Swisher on January 27, 2022. (Cedar Rapids Fire Department)
Corn spills out of the side of the silo after it punctured to facilitate the rescue. Firefighters from the Cedar Rapids and Jefferson-Monroe (Swisher) Fire Departments teamed up to save a man from a corn silo near Swisher on January 27, 2022. (Cedar Rapids Fire Department)
Several trucks were on the scene to help with the rescue, such as contributions from Cedar Rapids Public Works, who sent large vacuum trucks to help move the loose corn out of the way. A man was rescued from a corn silo near Swisher on January 27, 2022. (Cedar Rapids Fire Department)