TRINITY COUNTY, TX – In a tragic incident in Trinity County, three men from the Houston area lost their lives due to a gas leak while performing maintenance work. The sheriff’s office confirmed that the accident occurred in the Westwood Shores area off Highway 356.
The victims have been identified as Brad Hutton, 47, from Willis; Bradley Wiseman, 46, from Katy; and John Nelson Sr., 52, from Cleveland. According to Deputy Chief Jeremy Carroll, the men were working on a faulty lift station sump pump when they entered a manhole and succumbed to the gas leak.
Investigations revealed that the crew was not supposed to conduct any underground work, as they were neither equipped nor trained for such tasks. Their job was limited to handling a motor above ground.
The first two men were employees of H2O Innovation. The initial worker attempted to stop a sewage backflow after a sewer line broke, while his colleague tried to rescue him when he became unresponsive. Tragically, both efforts were in vain.
The third man, working for Hydraclear, followed in an attempt to help. Despite having a gas reader that detected dangerous levels of hydrogen sulfide gas, he was unable to escape in time and also perished.
Records show H2O Innovation had previous violations with OSHA in 2021 related to trench safety and cave-in protection. The company responded, stating they have since enhanced their health and safety protocols and have not had serious violations since then.
The company expressed deep sorrow over the loss of their employees, emphasizing their commitment to safety and ongoing training. OSHA is continuing its investigation into the incident.