Firefighters rescue man buried up to his armpits in northeast Salem grain silo

A middle-aged man was rescued from a grain silo in northeast Salem on Northeast Silverton Road Tuesday afternoon after being stuck buried up to his chest for several hours, according to Marion County Fire District No. 1.

At about 1:30 p.m. firefighters responded to a call about the man who was stuck in the grain silo. When firefighters got there they found the man was conscious and alert but unable to pull himself out from the grain, which was up to his armpits. 

It took fire crews, which including from the Salem Fire Department, about three hours to remove the man using a series of maneuvers with ropes, pulleys, and heavy machinery. Local farmers helped in the rescue.

The man was finally pulled from the grain silo and taken to Salem Hospital for evaluation. Authorities did not release his name.

Brian Carrara, the deputy chief of administrative services for the Salem Fire Department, didn’t have details to share on how the man fell into the grain silo, but said the man had to be given a rope to prevent him from sinking further into the grain.

“Fortunately, the patient was positioned adjacent to an access door, facilitating direct communication. The patient was also situated on top of a drill safely disconnected from its power source,” Carrara said in an email. “The silo, approximately seven feet deep at the front and sloping upwards at a 40-degree angle, presented additional challenges as the grain tended to slough forward.” 

Local farmers brought in a grain vacuum to help crews remove large amounts of the grain, Carrara said. The man was pulled out after about three and a half hours.

Contact reporter Joe Siess: [email protected] or 503-335-7790.

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