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TRINITY COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — All three bodies have been recovered after three men died from inhaling toxic sewer gas Wednesday afternoon in Southeast Texas.
Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace said they received a call at around 3:52 p.m. that the men were found unconscious at a sewer plant in the Westwood Shores area. Deputy Chief Jeremy Carroll said two of the bodies were recovered just before 7 p.m. and the third a short time later.
Authorities said two of the men worked for H2O Innovation and the third for Hydroclear.
- John Nelson Sr, 52 of Cleveland – H2O Innovation
- Bradley Wrightsman, 46 of Katy- H2O Innovation
- Brad Hutton, 47 of Willis – Hydroclear Services
According to Carroll, one of the crew members was working on the manhole and attempted to cap a line after a water leak that would cause sewage to back up the line they were working and during this time, he lost consciousness.
“We believe a crewmember jumped inside to cap the line to prevent the sewage from backing into the area that they were working,” Carroll said. “The gas buildup started giving him some type of medical issue or caused a medical issue, at which time one of his partners with the same company went into the manhole after him.”
After the second person went in, he lost consciousness. A third person then went inside and went unconscious as well. Law enforcement is working to notify the family.
Carroll speaks on recovery efforts:
The gas, hydrogen sulfide, caused a temporary shelter-in-place order for the surrounding area, which was lifted shortly after 5 p.m. Wallace said there is no ongoing threat to the public, though people were asked to avoid a quarter-mile radius from the plant as first responders worked the scene.
Hydrogen sulfide is a toxic, flammable, colorless gas and is described to have a “rotten egg” smell. The gas is commonly found in manholes and sewers due to bacterial breakdown of organic matter, especially in stagnant wastewater.
H2O Innovation President and CEO Frédéric Dugré has released a statement following this tragic incident:
“This is a profoundly difficult day for our team. Earlier today, two H2O Innovation employees and a contractor lost their lives in a tragic work accident. They were valued members of our team, and their sudden passing is an immense loss not only to their families and friends but also to all of us who had the privilege of working alongside them.
Right now, we know that several members of our team and a team of contractors we work closely with reported to a scene in Trinity to conduct repairs. While working on a sewer, three people died. We are still working to determine what led up to the deaths, working closely with the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office and other local officials. Safety and training are incredibly important to us.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the three people who lost their lives. This is a sad day for our entire team. Right now, we are focused on doing all we can to support the families of those employees and the rest of our team. Out of respect for them and the continuing investigation, we will release more information when it is available and as permitted by the families and law enforcement.”
Frédéric Dugré
On Thursday, Deputy Regional Director with the U.S. Department of Labor, Juan Rodriquez, told KETK News that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) opened an investigation into the incident.
Rodriquez said OSHA has six months to complete the investigation and no additional information will be provided during its course. Updates are available through OSHA’s Establishment Search page.
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