Two men OK after being rescued from silos in Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH

The two farm workers treated Monday morning after losing consciousness while working in a tunnel have been discharged from the hospital, officials said today.

Investigators determined they lost consciousness because the oxygen content in the tunnel was only 4 percent, said Battalion Chief Tim Riley, a Fire Department spokesman. Normal oxygen content is 21 percent, he said.

“Low oxygen was the reason people became unconscious,” he said. “Once they were removed from the environment and given supplemental oxygen, they regained consciousness.”

The incident occurred before 8 a.m. while the two men were working in a tunnel beneath grain silos at a farm in the 700 block of Princess Anne Road, Riley said. Farm workers pulled the two men to safety.

Emergency Medical Services responded and took the men to a hospital. One regained consciousness before arriving, Riley said.

Hazardous-materials teams investigated. The two men are not expected to have any long-term injuries because of the incident, Riley said.