Emergency responders continued to search thru the night in the rain in the effort to find that missing Yarmouth Elevator employee after two grain bins collapsed Tuesday morning. Report of the collapse came into the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office just after 8 am. Iowa Task Force One, a search and rescue united was called in to assist. A structural assessment of the area had to be done before emergency responders could safely go in. Apparently there was also a building in the way that had to be taken down. Des Moines County EMA said K-9s also assisted in the search. Investigators are working to determine what caused the collapse. The bins were older cement silos.
Multiple agencies responded to the scene in Yarmouth on Tuesday. The fire departments from Mt. Union, Winfield, Olds, Wayland and Mount Pleasant joined Des Moines County units. Mt. Pleasant Fire Chief Drew Schumacher said his department received the call Tuesday at about 1:30 pm and sent four firefighters. They assisted until about 8 pm. Then at 11:30 Mt. Pleasant received another call requesting an engine and five firefighters. They worked all night and were still on scene at 7:30 Wednesday morning. The local department remains available to swap out the crew.
About half the community of Yarmouth lost power when the accident occurred and still don’t have electricity this morning.