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APPANOOSE COUNTY, IOWA — A man was able to crawl to safety after being stuck in a grain bin for three hours on Monday thanks to work of first responders and neighboring farmers near Moravia.

According to Moravia Fire and Rescue, both they and Centerville Fire and Rescue were paged at the same time to a grain bin rescue near Moravia. When first responders arrived, witnesses on scene had already secured a rope around the man and were using a sheet of tin to push more grain away from him.

First responders used two grain bin rescue tubes to remove much of the grain crushing against the man. Two relief triangles were cut in the side of the bin to release even more grain. An onsite grain vacuum was used and a nearby farmer brought in a second vacuum to assist. After three hours of draining the bin, the victim was finally able to work himself free and crawl out of the bin. His name and condition aren’t being released.

The Moravia Fire Department says that its grain bin rescue equipment was donated by Centerville Produce and Smith Fertilizer & Grain. Albia Fire Department, Monroe County Ambulance, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Department and the ADLM Emergency Management Agency all responded to the scene along with a number of farmers, according to a Facebook post.

In that same Facebook post, the Moravia Fire Department encourages other departments to take advantage of free training opportunities through Professional Rescue Innovations via grants from the Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau.