Joseph Kimmes III was the first man to enter the underground pit in the Village of Superior where four men were killed by toxic gas Thursday, said Douglas County medical examiner Darrell Witt.
His brother, Scott Kimmes, followed, then Harold "Tim" Olsen and Paul Cossalter, Witt said, one at a time.
"He went into the pit to tighten something, but we don't know what it was," Witt said of Joseph Kimmes.
Scott Kimmes probably heard his brother coughing and having problems inside the tank, he said, "and you realize you've got to get him out."
The victims all were found within a gravel-lined pit that firefighters described as being about 25 feet deep and about 4 feet in diameter. The pit is in a demolition landfill owned by Lakehead Blacktop, of which Joseph Kimmes III and Scott Kimmes were co-owners. Olsen was an employee of the company and Cossalter was a private electrical contractor.
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Jim Rigstad, a battalion commander for the Superior Fire Department, said that upon arriving on the scene it quickly became evident that this would be a recovery rather than a rescue mission. A gas meter lowered into the 3-foot-wide manhole at the mouth of the pit showed hydrogen sulfide levels of 200 parts per million. Rigstad said that's twice what the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has deemed to be "immediately dangerous to life or health concentrations."
Actual hydrogen sulfide levels in the pit could have been even higher, as Rigstad said it's unclear if the meter topped out at 200 ppm.
None of the victims was responsive, and the outlook for their survival was further dimmed by the fact that the unconscious men had come to rest in about 3 feet of water found standing in the bottom of the pit.
It took about 25 minutes from the time of the call for firefighters to reach the first victim. The last body was removed from the pit about three hours from the time of the initial call.
Firefighters donned masks, breathing equipment, radio communication gear, helmets and other protective equipment before entering the pit to attempt recovery of the victims. An oversized tripod was positioned over the manhole and firefighters were lowered into the pit by way of a rope-and-pulley system.
Rigstad said private-sector employees working in confined spaces should have access to the same type of equipment supplied to firefighters.
Superior Fire Chief Tad Matheson said Friday that first responders had found no evidence of gas-detection or other safety equipment on the accident scene.
"We're hoping that through what we're doing today and through this recent tragic event, we can keep other people from getting into the same kind of situation," Rigstad said during a media presentation Monday.
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While large companies in the area seem to be well-trained and properly equipped to safely enter confined spaces, Rigstad said many smaller operations seem to be less prepared.
"Unfortunately, some of the smaller companies are not as informed about the dangers involved with entering small spaces," he said.
Autopsy results on the four men are expected today, Witt said.
