Farm worker dies in grain bin accident

A farm worker died Tuesday afternoon after being buried in a grain bin on property north of Idalia in Stoddard County.

Kenneth Wayne Hurley, 54, of Bloomfield was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Kenny Pope at 1:32 p.m. The death was ruled an accident.

The call came to the Dexter Fire Department at 12:49 p.m. for an extrication crew to be dispatched to a farm owned by Elbert Gilooly near the intersection of routes E and N northeast of Idalia.

Fire chief Don Seymore said Hurley was helping remove grain from a grain bin on land farmed by Paul Clary. Seymore said the worker was inside the grain bin running a vacuum when the grain beneath him collapsed and he became buried in the grain.

Rescue workers from the fire department and the Stoddard County Ambulance District arrived and worked for nearly an hour to remove the worker from the bin. Seymore said backboards were used to build a wall around the worker while grain was removed from the bin.

Hurley was taken to Rainey Mathis Funeral Home, where arrangements were being made.

Hurley had recently moved to Stoddard County, Pope said.