Airman died after accidentally inhaling hydrogen sulfide in a manhole at Al Dhafra (United Arab Emir

[TomSea]

Airman died after accidentally inhaling hydrogen sulfide in a manhole at Al Dhafra
By: Stephen Losey

Staff Sgt. James Tyler “Ty” Grotjan died last July after he inhaled hydrogen sulfide down a manhole, lost consciousness and fell off a ladder, according to an Air Force investigation report released Friday.

Grotjan, 26, was a water and fuel systems maintenance airman with the 4th Civil Engineer Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, who was assigned to the 380th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. He and five other airmen were preparing to clear out a clogged sewage line on July 8 when a fiberglass manhole cover fell down the roughly 17-foot shaft. The report said “there was a noticeable smell when the cover was removed.”

The team discussed how they might retrieve the cover, which needed to happen before they could start clearing the line. But before they finished coming up with a plan, Grotjan got his gloves from his truck and climbed down into the manhole. He grabbed the cover and started climbing back up.

Read more at: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/01/25/airman-died-after-accidentally-inhaling-hydrogen-sulfide-in-a-manhole-at-al-dhafra/