BLAIR, WI – A man from El Paso, Texas, tragically passed away during a cleaning operation within a municipal water tank in Blair, a city in western Wisconsin. According to authorities, colleagues allege that he got entangled in a suction tube, and his death is currently deemed accidental.
The Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the identity of the deceased as Carlos Medina, 30, who died after being caught up in the city’s water tank on Saturday.
While executing the cleanup operation, Medina donned a wet suit and scuba gear and used a 90-foot suction tube to clear sediment from the tank. He had been engaged in the task for around 45 minutes that Saturday afternoon in Blair, situated roughly 125 miles northwest of Madison.
According to police accounts, Medina reportedly informed his coworkers of his discomfort due to the cold. Nonetheless, he persisted in his duties. His coworkers speculate that he might have entered a hypothermic state, which would have resulted in diminished mobility and strength in his hands after some time.
Emergency attempts to extricate Medina from the tank were hindered due to his entanglement with the suction tube. However, first responders, alongside two workers, eventually managed to retrieve a motionless and underwater Medina from the tank.
Sadly, all attempts at life-saving measures proved futile. The sheriff’s office has classified Medina’s death as an accident.