The deaths of six people who were found dead Wednesday at a dairy east of Keenesburg are under investigation as possible gas exposures in a confined space, a coroner’s office official said.
The Weld County Coroner’s Office is investigating the deaths at Prospect Valley Dairy, 32063 Weld County Road 18, but is still completing autopsies of the six men, Chief Deputy Coroner Jolene Weiner said.
Radio communications revealed the person who first reported the incident mentioned a burst pipe. First responders on scene later mentioned five men with possible high levels of H2S, or hydrogen sulfide.
Hydrogen sulfide occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, but is also produced from decomposing manure, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. It is mildly irritating to people’s eyes and respiratory system when exposed to it in low doses, but can quickly become deadly when people are exposed to large amounts in a confined space.
Weiner said all six victims were adult Hispanic men. It’s not clear whether they were employees at the dairy.
The Southeast Weld Fire Protection District responded around 6 p.m. to a call for a confined space rescue at the dairy, according to a district Facebook post.
When crews entered the space, they found the six people dead, the post states.
The post did not address what the confined space was or why the men were in it.
Southwest Fire Protection District Spokesperson Irene Burke said the department is not releasing any further information.
The Weld County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, but said there were no signs that any crimes were committed, agency spokesperson Melissa Chesmore said.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration said it will not release any information until its investigation is complete.
Dairy Farmers of America called the event a “tragic accident.”
“We are deeply saddened by this incident,” the cooperative of dairy farmers said in a statement. “And our thoughts and most sincere condolences go out to the friends and families of the deceased. At this early stage, we have no further details.”
The property is owned by Prospect Valley Dairy LLC and lists a Bakersfield, California, address for the owners, county tax records show.
The farm has a 32,500-square-foot dairy milking parlor as well as two free stall barns, one built in 2017 that is more than 450,000 square feet and another built last year that is more than 100,000 square feet.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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