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closeSunday, Jun. 07, 2009
Kahlotus brothers die in tank accident
By Dori O'Neal, Herald staff writer
Two Kahlotus men died after being overcome by fumes from a gas-powered pump while trying to draw leaking water from a cistern, the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said.
The incident happened at the home of Eric Harder, 39, who lives at 1380 Perry Road in Kahlotus. He and his brother Kurt Harder, 45, were working at the bottom of a cistern attempting to pump water from it after about 2,000 gallons of water leaked into the house, authorities said.
A volunteer firefighter with Franklin County Fire District 2, who attempted to rescue the men from the tank, also was affected by the fumes. He was taken to Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco where he was treated and later released. His name was not disclosed.
Franklin County Coroner Dan Blasdel said the deaths were accidental.
The accident happened at about 3 p.m. Friday, but Blasdel, who lives in Pasco, said the 911 call didn't come into the Franklin County dispatch center until 4:30 p.m., and he wasn't called to the scene until 4:40 p.m.
"They (local rescuers) weren't very happy with me or the sheriff's department by the time we arrived," Blasdel said. "They felt it took us too long to get there. The sheriff's department was there before me and I arrived at 5:30 p.m."
Kahlotus is about a 50-minute drive from the Tri-City area.
Blasdel said rescuers at the scene also were uncooperative with the investigation.
"I understood that they were upset about what happened, but that should not have kept them from answering our questions," he said.
Calls made Saturday to Kahlotus emergency responders, relatives of the victims and to city council members in the community of more than 200 residents were not answered.
The incident remains under investigation. No autopsies were performed, though Blasdel did authorize toxicology tests to determine the level of carbon dioxide the victims ingested.
Eric Harder was a member of the Kahlotus School Board and Kurt Harder was believed to be a commissioner on the Franklin County Fire District 2 board.
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