Coroner: Gas fumes killed Wisconsin farmer; death accidental
Associated Press
September 14, 2016 — 4:55pm
AMHERST, Wis. — The Portage County coroner says a farmer was accidentally killed last month when he was exposed to hydrogen sulfide gas.
Coroner Scott Rifleman said Wednesday that 29-year-old Michael Biadasz was using a piece of farm equipment to agitate a large outdoor manure pit on his family's farm near Amherst. That opened a crust layer on top of the pit and expelled the gas.
Other workers found Biadasz when they arrived Aug. 15 to haul away manure from the large tank.
The wind was calm and the sky clear early that morning, with a heavy layer of fog near the ground. Stevens Point Journal Media (http://spjour.nl/2cOzvJx ) reports the lack of air movement and sudden release of hydrogen sulfide gas, which is heavier than air, created a deadly dome of air.
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Coroner: Farmer died of gas poisoning
Chris Mueller, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 6:47 a.m. CDT September 15, 2016
Michael Biadasz died Aug. 15 after being overcome by gases from a manure pit on his family's farm. His family and friends recently spoke with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and shared memories of his life and their feelings after his death. Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
(Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)
AMHERST - A 29-year-old farmer near Amherst died last month of an "accidental acute exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas," Portage County Coroner Scott Rifleman said Wednesday.
Mike Biadasz was using a piece of farm equipment to agitate a large outdoor manure pit on his family's farm, which opened a crust layer on top of the pit, "expelling the hydrogen sulfide gas," Rifleman said in a news release. Biadasz was found on the ground near a manure pit by other farm workers who showed up expecting to haul away manure, according to Bob Biadasz, Mike Biadasz's father. That was about 6:30 a.m. Aug. 15.
The National Weather Service found the wind was calm and the sky was clear early that morning, with a heavy layer of fog near the ground, Rifleman said. The lack of air movement and sudden release of hydrogen sulfide gas, which is heavier than air, caused the problem that led to Biadasz's death, Rifleman said.
Specialists with the University of Wisconsin-Extension were involved in the investigation, along with other pathologists and toxicologists, Rifleman said.
Biadasz's death left his parents and three sisters in shock, but also led to an outpouring of support from the community. More than 1,200 people came to his visitation. The visitation was moved to St. Bronislava Catholic Church because a local funeral home wouldn’t have been able to handle such a big crowd, Bob Biadasz said.
The unusual circumstances surrounding Mike Biadasz’s death motivated his family to start a farm safety memorial fund with collection points at Community First Bank in Rosholt and Stevens Point. A GoFundMe page was also set up by the family.
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Family mourns son lost in farming accident
Chris Mueller, USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin 3:20 p.m. CDT August 24, 2016
Loss of an American farmer
Michael Biadasz died Aug. 15 after being overcome by gases from a manure pit on his family's farm. His family and friends recently spoke with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and shared memories of his life and their feelings after his death. Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
(Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)
AMHERST - Bob Biadasz was drinking a cup of coffee when the phone rang.
He heard a voice on the other end say, “Bob, Mike’s dead.” He ran out the door, but it was already too late.
His son, 29-year-old Mike Biadasz, was found on the ground near a manure pit by other farm workers who showed up at the family’s farm near Amherst expecting to haul away manure. It was about 6:30 a.m. Aug. 15, a Monday.
Biadasz was using a piece of farm equipment to agitate — or stir, basically — a large outdoor manure pit to prepare the manure to be hauled away in trucks and, eventually, spread onto fields. The job wasn't unusual, typically done a few times each year, but this time was different. This time, fumes released from the pit became trapped beneath warm air high in the sky on a foggy morning. Biadasz passed out from the fumes and was lying still on the edge of the pit when other workers found him.
Bob Biadasz takes a moment to collect himself while working on his farm near Amherst. His son, 29-year-old Michael Biadasz, died after being overcome by gases from a manure pit on the farm. Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc
Bob Biadasz takes a moment to collect himself while working on his farm near Amherst. His son, 29-year-old Michael Biadasz, died after being overcome by gases from a manure pit on the farm. Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc
He died, and so did 16 head of cattle standing near the pit.
Biadasz’s death left his parents and three sisters reeling, wondering what the future of their family — and their farm — could possibly hold without him. And many more people felt the sting that came with such an unexpected loss. More than 1,200 people came to his visitation last week. That's more people than the 1,038 people who actually live in the village of Amherst, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The visitation was moved to St. Bronislava Catholic Church because a local funeral home wouldn’t have been able to handle such a big crowd, Bob Biadasz said.
"I never realized Mike touched so many people," he said.
Steve Burclaw had only worked on the farm with Mike Biadasz for about three years, but the two quickly became close friends.
“He was like a big brother to me,” he said. “He was like a big brother to everyone, I should say. He basically took care of everyone.”
Burclaw happened to be the person who found Mike Biadasz lying near the edge of the manure pit. Burclaw, who was supposed to help haul manure that morning, didn't immediately see anything out of the ordinary.
“There was really no sign of anything being different, or odd, or wrong,” he said “We’ve all seen foggy mornings before.”
Burclaw said he returned to his daily work routine this week for the first time since Biadasz's death, but it hasn't been easy.
“Just keep moving. Don’t stop to think about anything,” he said. “If I’m sitting around just staring off into space, I just start thinking about the situation.”
Bob Biadasz described his son as a knowledgeable, hard-working farmer, and an outgoing, friendly person who “could talk to anybody, young or old.”
Mike Biadasz, who graduated from Amherst High School in 2005, developed an interest in farming as a child, eventually going on to study farming at Mid-State Technical College in Marshfield and Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton.
“He always wanted to farm,” Bob Biadasz said. “He always wanted to stay home and be with dad.”
Mike Biadasz bought land near the family’s farm a few years ago and his father watched as that land was transformed by his son’s passion for farming. His family's farm has been around since 1934. Today the farm has between 850 and 900 head of cattle.
“He actually had the vision to make something out of it,’ he said. “He made it what no one else dreamed it could be.”
The unusual circumstances surrounding Mike Biadasz’s death motivated his family to start a farm safety memorial fund with collection points at Community First Bank in Rosholt and Stevens Point. A GoFundMe page has also been set up by the family.
At least 270 farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers died from work-related injuries in 2014, according to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Five of those deaths were the result of someone being exposed to a harmful substance, but most of the deaths were related to transportation incidents or contact with equipment.
These deadly situations involving dangerous fumes are more common in confined spaces, but the gases pose a risk and are difficult to detect wherever they’re released, said Cheryl Skjolaas, an agricultural safety specialist for University of Wisconsin-Extension.
“You’re not going to smell them. You’re not going to see them,” she said. “If you’re working around it, it’s hard to know where that gas is.”
Many people expressed sympathy in comments left on Mike Biadasz’s Facebook page, according to posts reviewed by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
"I'm glad I got to work with you for the time I did," said Andrew Falk. "It wasn't long, but it was fun and long enough to know you were a great man."
Many comments included photos of Mike Biadasz with friends, while others simply expressed disbelief.
“There’s no words to express how any of us feel,” said Jessica Dombrowski. “I’ve never met someone like you. You gave so much love to anyone you met.”
A worn baseball cap still sat on the dashboard of Mike Biadasz’s pickup, parked at the front of a crowd of farming equipment gathered last week as a makeshift memorial. Nearby, two signs carried the words his family says he lived by: “Live today like you are going to die tomorrow, but farm today like you are going to farm forever.”
“I never knew how much those words could mean,” Bob Biadasz said.
Chris Mueller: 715-345-2251 or christopher.mueller@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @AtChrisMueller.
Steve Burclaw, a farm worker, quickly became friends with 29-year-old Michael Biadasz, who died Aug. 15 in a farming accident. (Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)
Steve Burclaw, a close friend of Michael Biadasz, steps out of a grain bin after returning to work on the farm for the first time since Biadasz died Aug. 15 in a farming accident. (Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)
Steve Burclaw, a close friend of Michael Biadasz, pauses and looks out of a grain bin after returning to work on the farm for the first time since Biadasz died Aug. 15 in a farming accident. (Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)
Michael Biadasz, 29, wanted to become a farmer, even at a young age. He died Aug. 15 in a farming accident at his family's farm. (Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)
The sun shines down on Biadasz Farms near Amherst days after 29-year-old Michael Biadasz died after being overcome by fumes from a manure pit on the farm. (Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)
"With or without him, the work has to get done," said Steve Burclaw after going back to work on the farm for the first time since his close friend, 29-year-old Michael Biadasz, died in a farming accident. (Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)
Bob Biadasz is reflected in a portrait of his son, 29-year-old Michael Biadasz, who died Aug. 15 in a farming accident. (Photo: Jacob Byk/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisc)