Six people are dead after what officials say was a 鈥渄airy accident鈥� in Weld County.
According to a press release from the Southeast Weld Fire Protection District, they responded to a call around 6 p.m. Wednesday for a 鈥渃onfined space rescue.鈥� When crews arrived at Prospect Valley Dairy at the 32000 block of Weld County Road, near Keenesburg, they entered the space and discovered six bodies. The victims have since been removed.
Weld County Chief Deputy Coroner Jolene Weiner said it鈥檚 too early to share details about the nature of the confined space or the cause of the incident.
"We have confirmed six dead," said Weiner. "They are all Hispanic males. So we are investigating these deaths as possibly being the result of gas exposure in a confined space."
that three additional people were treated and released from a Greeley hospital after the incident.
Community response
One of the victims killed has been identified as a student of Weld Re-9 School District's Highland High School in Ault.
The district released a statement on social media calling it a "tragedy."
"Counseling and support services have been made available to students and staff alike, and the district is committed to continue providing assistance to those in need," they wrote on Facebook. "Our thoughts are with the student鈥檚 family and friends during this difficult time, and we extend our sincere condolences to all who are impacted by this loss."
The Weld County Board of Commissioners also released a statement to share their condolences. In part, it says, "The agricultural community in Weld County, as it is across this country, is strong and full of compassionate, hard-working individuals and families who support each other, especially in difficult times such as this."
Gov. Jared Polis offered his condolences as well: "My thoughts are with the families of those who were killed in this tragedy. We hope the investigation is swift but thorough and provides the answers needed to for the families and loved ones and to ensure this does not happen again."
State lawmakers like State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, who represents parts of Weld County, offered her support at the State Capitol on Friday.
"We don't know what the cause is yet. We don't know what happened, but the result is lives were lost and families are impacted, so my heart just goes out to them," she said.
Confined spaces at dairies can include silos, milk tanks, feed bins and tunnels.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has confirmed that they are investigating.
