UPDATE: Ankeny Man Freed From Grain Bin is Doing Well

A man who was trapped for roughly three hours today by corn in a grain bin at Heartland Co-op east of Ankeny is doing well following the incident.

Heartland Co-op employee Steve Kaufman, 56, of Ankeny, was transported by helicopter to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, where he is now listed in stable condition, said a press release issued by the city at approximately 4:30 p.m. this afternoon.

The Ankeny Fire Department was called to the scene at 9:30 this morning. The co-op is located at 4300 N.E. 94th Ave. in the unincorporated area of Enterprise, just east of Ankeny.

Emergency crews built a structure around the man to bring in equipment that allowed them to suck the corn away from Kaufman. The grain acts as quicksand, Mundt said, trapping a person in place.

At one point the work shifted more weight onto Kaufman, who was conscious the entire time and talking to rescuers, said Ankeny Fire Chief Rex Mundt.

Crews carried Kaufman on a stretcher to a Mercy Hospital helicopter at 1 p.m.

City of Ankeny public relations director Deb Dyar said Kaufman has been a co-op employee for roughly six years. While an official cause of the incident has not been determined, Dyar said she was told Kaufman and another worker were performing maintenance on the grain bin.

"The co-op complied with all emergency procedures when the accident occurred," Dyar said."(Kaufman was tethered) and an attendant was with him, who notified officials when it happened."

Dyar said she was told Kaufman had possibly become tangled around a shovel in the grain when the incident occurred. The city expects to release more information later today, she said.

Joe Giudicessi with the Des Moines Fire Department's tactical response unit said Kaufman helped in his own rescue, telling workers where to shift grain and updating them on the conditions.

"He's a very lucky person that it worked out and he was able to come out alive," Giudicessi said.

While there is a danger of explosion in elevators because of the grain dust, Guidicessi said crews constantly ventilated the bin and drew in fresh air to mitigate the danger.

The most recent press release issued by the city also said two additional co-op employees and one firefighter with the Ankeny Fire Department were evaluated at Des Moines hospitals for grain dust exposure.

The Ankeny Fire Department was assisted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Department and the Des Moines Fire Department Technical Rescue Team.

Ankeny Patch will update as information is released.