The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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Related Photos

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  • An EagleMed helicopter pilot prepares to take off as another air ambulance begins its flight to OU Medical Center carrying two teens who were critically injured when they were trapped in a floor grain auger Thursday morning at Zaloudek Grain Co. in Kremlin. (Staff Photo by CASS RAINS)

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  • A volunteer firefighter briefly kneels after loading one of youths on an EagleMed Helicopter. (Staff Photo by CASS RAIN)

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  • Emergency personnel and vehicles can be seen outside a Kremlin grain storage facility as two injured 17-year-old boys are extricated from a floor grain auger at Zaloudek Grain Co. Thursday morning. Two EagleMed air ambulances were called to the scene and transported the teens to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City in critical condition. (Staff Photo by CASS RAINS)

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  • Emergency responders move an injured teen to a waiting EagleMed air ambulance at Zaloudek Grain Co. in Kremlin. Two 17-year-old boys were extricated from a grain auger Thursday morning and suffered severe leg injuries. Both were transported to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City in critical condition. (Staff Photo by CASS RAINS)

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Discussion

August 4, 2011

Teens critically injured

By Cass Rains, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle

KREMLIN — Two 17-year-old boys were critically injured Thursday morning when they were pulled into a large grain auger at Zaloudek Grain Co.

Bryce Gannon and Tyler Zander were extricated from a floor grain auger by emergency  responders and flown to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City with leg injuries. They remained in critical condition Thursday night, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

Kremlin Fire Department Chief Derrick Harris said his department was the first to respond to a call from a worker at the grain elevator reporting the two teens being trapped in the 10- to 12-inch auger.

“It was their legs that caught in the auger,” Harris said. “They were in there working and got caught.”

Through mutual-aid agreements, Kremlin received aid and support from Breckinridge, Enid, Hillsdale-Carrier, Hunter and Pond Creek fire departments. Garfield County Sheriff’s Office also responded, as did LIfe EMS, Garfield County Emergency Management Director Mike Honigsberg and two helicopters from EagleMed.

A 911 call was received about 9:10 a.m. from another worker who was in the same building where the two teens were trapped. Harris said he believed it was that third worker who made the initial call for help.

The teens were taken from the building about 10:30 a.m. and flown to the Oklahoma City hospital.

“From what I understand they went straight to surgery,” Harris said Thursday afternoon. “I haven’t heard any updated information since then.”

He said rescue workers had to cut the auger before Gannon and Zander could be removed.

Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating the accident, and the probe could take up to six months to complete.

Online OSHA records show no previous violations for Zaloudek Grain Co.

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