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  • Very tragic accident...

    Ulster's Spence dies in family farm tragedy

    Nevin Spence

    Ulster and Irish Wolfhounds rugby player Nevin Spence has died alongside his brother and their father in a farming tragedy which also injured their sister in Northern Ireland.
    Spence, 22, rose to prominence playing for Ulster and was a rising star in Ireland’s international rugby scene and had trained with the senior squad during the last Six Nations campaign.
    Spence died after falling into a slurry tank at the family farm at Drumlough Road outside Hillsborough. Emergency crews were called shortly after 6.0pm on Saturday following reports that four people had fallen into the slurry pit.
    Following a lengthy rescue operation it was confirmed that three men had died and a woman was taken to hospital for treatment for the inhalation of fumes.
    The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it responded to a 999 call at about 6.15pm.
    It said it immediately sent three rapid response paramedics, four accident and emergency vehicles and an ambulance service doctor to the scene.
    The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service also attended and rescued four people from the slurry pit.
    A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “Three were unconscious and NIAS paramedics commenced resuscitation efforts immediately assisted by other ambulance personnel.
    “One of the four showed initial signs of responding to the efforts of the crews and was transported immediately to the nearby Lagan Valley Hospital, where unfortunately he died a short time later.
    “Despite the best efforts of all involved the other two men died at the scene. A female was treated at the scene and taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital where she is recovering from the effects of fume inhalation.”
    Rugby players and fans paid tribute to the family on social media as news emerged of his involvement in the tragedy.
    Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said on Twitter: “Deeply saddened to hear of the tragedy in Hillsborough this evening. My thoughts and prayers are with family at this time of devastation.”
    Spence was a member of the Ulster squad that reached the Heineken Cup final last season, and he was predicted to have a glittering international career ahead of him.
    After an injury-hit start to the season, he played for the Ulster Ravens, the province’s reserve side, against Munster A at Deramore Park in Belfast on Friday.
    Spence’s Ulster team-mate Ian Humphreys tweeted: “Devastated to hear the news about Nevin Spence and his brother and dad. Prayers with all his family... RIP Nev, you’ll never be forgotten.”
    Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy, a keen supporter of Ulster rugby, expressed his sympathies, tweeting: “Just heard the tragic news of Nevin Spence and his family. Makes you cherish every day you have on this Earth.”
    A driven man with a burning passion.

  • #2
    Very tragic! I read about this on the NBC news last night! I wonder what they were doing?

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    • #3
      Very sad indeed. As a huge rugby fan myself, he'll be sadly missed, not to mention the others in his family

      Whilst I'm not fully up on the facts of this particular incident, theres always risk involved with slurry, the incidents involving the release of toxic gas seem to be on the rise, and I was reading recently, that a lot of this is due to increasing use of gypsum bedding. Being a sulphate, it breaks down to release hydrogen sulphide and methane and carbon dioxide, but particularly the H²S in higher quantities than used to be the case, and because its highly toxic, it has been proven to overcome those working in an environment where it is released. Often this can be inside a shed, where slurry agitation is taking place, and ventilation is poor. It just goes to show how deadly this environment can be, because , its a smelly enough job to do, but when do you know the environment has become lethal ?
      Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

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      • #4
        Hydrogen sulphide Jim present in slurry gas, affects the nose so you smell it it paralyses the nerves and you cease to smell it think it has passed but it is also a chemical asphyxiant like CO which means it replaces the oxygen in the blood and is very hard to revive some one effected. On was probably over come the others went to the rescue and scummed to the fumes.............

        http://www.safetydirectory.com/hazar...fact_sheet.htm
        A driven man with a burning passion.

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        • #5
          Well if this was caused by gas, this was a preventable tradgedy, as detectors are available at not unreasonable money, perhaps another thread would be good for discussing it
          Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

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          • #6
            http://news.sky.com/story/985584/slu...tar-among-dead

            Looks like a dog fell in the dad went in to rescue it and well the rest is ........................

            the tank was only 4.5' deep
            A driven man with a burning passion.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Stock View Post
              http://news.sky.com/story/985584/slu...tar-among-dead

              Looks like a dog fell in the dad went in to rescue it and well the rest is ........................

              the tank was only 4.5' deep
              I assume you mean 4½ feet ? if so that pretty alarming .. theres not much depth there in volume to give out a lot of toxic gas, hard to know without knowing the situation of course, but it just goes to show how seriously these predicaments are becoming .. when I was a young lad we never gave operations around a slurry pit/tank a moments thought, and I mean both indoor and outdoor, and that was on some farms where the indoor tanks were 3m deep.

              At one time I remember watching a driver using a telehandler over one of those slatted tanks where the weight of his machine would bend 8 foot slats over an inch downwards, as his machine rolled over them and I used to think ..hmmm thats a concrete slat which doesent really 'do' bending
              Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

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              • #8
                Nasty business, condolences to all ..... I agree with the Sulphide problem, I think your nose just becomes accustomed to the smell and you just dont know if its toxic or not

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                • #9
                  Heard on the Radio to day that six breath of H2S (hydrogen sulphide) and you are dead
                  A driven man with a burning passion.

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                  • #10
                    Well its worse than that ... one of the other hazardous gases apart from CO² and H²S is methane, and contrary to popular belief it doesen even have a smell, so you have no way of knowing if its there .. thats why miners used to carry birds down mines IIRC .. the only reason you can smell natural gas in your house is because an agent is added to it to enable you to detect it which is called mercaptan
                    Please don't PM me for plant advice.. thanks .. Post in the forum where I will gladly help, as will many of our contributors.. as the info and responses will help everyone else, which is why we exist

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