On Saturday, the routine task of leveling a grain silo turned tragic for one Pennsylvania family when the silo collapsed, fatally entrapping 31-year-old farmer Bryan Kendall inside.
At about 11:33 a.m., the Annville Cleona Fire Department responded to a building collapse near the South Annville Township. Despite having the Citizen’s Fire Company of Palmyra, Campbelltown Fire Company, Lebanon County Hazmat, and Lancaster County Rescue Taskforce on the scene, when emergency responders arrived, additional emergency and heavy equipment support was requested.
“Regrettably, what began as a rescue mission transitioned into a recovery effort when a body was discovered within the silo by a K-9 unit at 1:10 p.m.,” reported the fire department. “The ACFD offers our sincere condolences to the family and friends affected. Our thoughts are with them during this time.”
Kendall leaves behind his wife and two young boys. To help support the family, Landon Allebach set up a GoFundMe on April 28, which has already raised $64,251 of a $10,000 goal with 382 donations.
“Words simply can’t do justice in honoring someone like Bryan. He was a wonderful husband, dad, son, brother, and friend,” wrote Allebach. “His life was a reflection of God’s grace as he selflessly served those around him at home, his church, and in his community. He was an incredibly hard worker who loved every aspect of farm life.”
While the collapse of a silo is a rare occurrence, it’s something that Bruce Johnson, president of the International Silo Association, shed light on the situation and a warning to other farmers with aging silos to conduct regular inspections on both new and aging silos. Their website includes a section detailing maintenance and aspects of concrete deterioration.
Johnson shared details on the collapsed concrete silo with Lancaster Farming, saying that the silo was 40 years old, over 70 feet tall, and had been filled with triticale.
“As these silos are now getting older, we’ve made it a point to raise awareness about maintenance,” Johnson said. “They’ve performed well for so long, and farmers are busy so that slow process of deterioration is easily overlooked, but that preventative step is key when it comes to silo safety.”