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Show and many relatives and friends throughout the county. Hugh Blackburn is a Barber in Beaver City, and is a respected and active .' member of the community. .' Friends and relatives will pray for a speedy recovery. While methane gas is com - Methaime takes three, One critical Mooidav mon in liquid manure pits ; such as the one at the Roberts Rob-erts Dairy, it is suspected that the inclement weather may have made it even more lethal than usual. However, authorities warn that it is never safe to enter one of the tanks after it is once filled. Bishop of his LDS Ward. Steve Roberts graduated from Beaver High School last Spring, and was an outstanding outstand-ing athlete in both football and basketball. He had just recently been called to serve recently received word of an LDS Mission Call, and was preparing to leave soon. Sheriff Nelson was half way through his second term as Sheriff, and served the; county for several years as Deputy before being elected. All three leave families A unique tragedy hit Beaver Bea-ver County Monday, leaving three dead, and three injured, in-jured, one critically. Approximately 10 a.m. on Monday, September 8, Sheldon Shel-don Roberts and his two sons, Steve and John were pumping the liquid manure tank at their Dairy. After pumping the tank down to about one foot in depth, Sheldon went Into the tank to retrieve the steel lid to the opening, which had fallen into the tank. Methane gas from the tank overcame him, and both John and Steve jumped into the tank and grabbed their Dad, and were boosting him up the pump hose, when Steve was overcome by the deadly gas. John, who was then unable to get his Dad out, climbed out and called for help. Unable Un-able to reach the hospital, he got the Sheriff's office. Sheriff Nelson and Hugh Blackburn, who happened to be in the Sheriff's Office, answered the call. Arriving Arriv-ing on the scene several minutes before the ambulance, ambu-lance, Nelson and Blackburn both entered the tank, despite des-pite warnings of methane gas. ' Nelson, who entered first, was overcome by the gas, and fell face down, as had both Sheldon and Steve. Blackburn also was overcome over-come by the gas, but fell face up in the foot deep manure. ma-nure. John was able to get an extension cord to Blackburn, which he grabbed grab-bed and was able to hang on long enough to be pulled under the opening, where the air was better, which probably saved his life. He was taken to the Beaver Hospital, and transferred to a Salt Lake Hospital by air about 4:00 p.m. Monday, in critical condition. Two more attempts were made to rescue the victims, but both, Lee R. Beaumont, who brought the Ambulance, and Deputy Dennis Cox, who arrived about the same time, attempted rescues, but were overcome by the methane. Both were hauled to saj'ety with a water hose, which had been tied around their chests. With the arrival of the Beaver Fire Department and oxygen equipment, Joe Campbell, local Mortician, EMT, and Volunteer Fireman, Fire-man, was lowered into the tank and brought the four men out of the tank. Pronounced dead at the . scene were Sheldon Roberts, Rob-erts, 49; his son, Steve, 18; and Sheriff Dale Nelson, 50. . Cox and Beaumont were revived. Cox administered mouth to mouth resucitation and CPR to Sheriff Nelson until pulled away by the attending at-tending physician. Hugh Blackburn, in his early 40's, was transferred transfer-red to a Salt Lake Hospital in critical condition. Beaumont and Cox were taken to the Beaver Hospital and were later released, shaken, but apparently with no lasting effects. The tragedy has shaken Beaver County at the loss of three well known and loved members of the community, and the critical injuries to Blackburn. Sheldon Roberts was a well known Dairy Farmer, and influential member of the Beaver Community He was I ' I ' 1 H , 7J j J 1 v y ;.-; V T- , - - i-1 -. 1 ' I, I t I ' ' . - i .... ' ! . v v ' J ; ... . - . j ... ! - , ", .... . .... " I DEATH SCENE; Clark Smith, his son, and a neighbor, look at the open pit which took three lives and left one critically Injured, when Methane gas In the liquid manure pit took Dairyman, Sheldon Roberts life, when he entered to retrieve a piece of equipment that had fallen in. His son, Steve, and Sheriff Dale Nelson, also died trying to save him, and Hugh Blackburn was still In critical condition In a Salt Lake Hospital at press time. |