I Can't Imagine....

[weltschmerz]

...losing three daughters at once.  How awful!

The family of three young sisters who were tragically smothered in canola seed near Withrow, Alta., says the girls "died living life on the farm."

The girls’ parents, Roger and Bonita Bott, issued a brief statement Wednesday, thanking first responders who tried in vain to resuscitate the children after they somehow became buried by the seed while playing on a truck loaded with canola Tuesday evening.

"Our kids died living life on the farm," the parents said. "It is a family farm. We do not regret raising and involving our kids: Catie, 13, Dara, 11, Jana, 11, on our farm. It was our life."

www.ctvnews.ca/canada/our-kids-died-living-life-on-the-farm-3-sisters-dead-in-alta-tragedy-1.2608653

[Tennesseer]

A horrible loss for the family.  Horrible.

[mollyanna58]

Unimaginably tragic.

[ArchietheDragon]

ugh.   

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Heartbreaking.  

[lexxy703]

Tragic accident.  I cannot imagine what that family is going through.

[Deleted]

Not that long ago my nephew lost his best friend in an auto accident, not only his best friend but their sister and brother.  3 kids tragically died, the mother who was driving lived.

I thought it was tragic when I read about this happening to people that I didn't know but when you see it up close to people that you do know it is horrifically devastating.  It rips a hole in the heart of an entire community and every single day even a year later there are reminders of what happened. 

My heart goes out to this family.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 15, 2015 10:53:45 GMT -5 @aj said:

Not that long ago my nephew lost his best friend in an auto accident, not only his best friend but their sister and brother.  3 kids tragically died, the mother who was driving lived.

I thought it was tragic when I read about this happening to people that I didn't know but when you see it up close to people that you do know it is horrifically devastating.  It rips a hole in the heart of an entire community and every single day even a year later there are reminders of what happened. 

My heart goes out to this family.

Back in 2004 in a suburban city close to where I live, a 15-year-old boy decided in the middle of the night to pick up two male friends (both 15 too) and then stopped by a female friend's home to pick up her and three of her girlfriends (ages 13 to 15 and at her home for a slumber party) and go for a joy ride. They didn't make the curve in the road and all seven were instantly killed.

Seven families and a middle school devastated.

[toomuchreality]

Oct 15, 2015 11:11:34 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Oct 15, 2015 10:53:45 GMT -5 @aj said:

Not that long ago my nephew lost his best friend in an auto accident, not only his best friend but their sister and brother.  3 kids tragically died, the mother who was driving lived.

I thought it was tragic when I read about this happening to people that I didn't know but when you see it up close to people that you do know it is horrifically devastating.  It rips a hole in the heart of an entire community and every single day even a year later there are reminders of what happened. 

My heart goes out to this family.

Back in 2004 in a suburban city close to where I live, a 15-year-old boy decided in the middle of the night to pick up two male friends (both 15 too) and then stopped by a female friend's home to pick up her and three of her girlfriends (ages 13 to 15 and at her home for a slumber party) and go for a joy ride. They didn't make the curve in the road and all seven were instantly killed.

Seven families and a middle school devastated.

Holy Moly.  That's sad.

[cronewitch]

My brother was separated from his wife when she need surgery, her 19 year old went to get her from the hospital but she wasn't released so he stayed overnight in the city. The 17, 15, 13, 11 year old were home alone when the house burned killing the three youngest. The mom was in a wheel chair and she and the boy had clothing but the 17yo only got out with her night gown. This was December in Minnesota with snow and very cold while the mom in a wheel chair and homeless had to plan 3 funerals. A month later the 19 year old left, his passport came after the fire. 6 Months later the 17 yo finished high school and moved to her biodad so a mom with 6 at home in 6 months was all alone. She adopted another girl, but major life change losing your three babies.

[Virgil Showlion]

Does this seem 'off' to anybody else?

How do three girls "somehow become buried" by enough seed to suffocate them?

One kid I could see burrowing into the seed for fun and then becoming unable to get out, but not three simultaneously. That leaves seed being dumped on them (which begs some obvious safety questions) or foul play.

I suppose anything is possible, but I hope the authorities turned a critical eye to the deaths.

[OldCoyote]

When I was a kid on the farm, My father warned me to never get into a bin of flax seed. the seed is too slick will not support you,  you will sink.

[weltschmerz]

Oct 18, 2015 8:38:36 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Does this seem 'off' to anybody else?

How do three girls "somehow become buried" by enough seed to suffocate them?

One kid I could see burrowing into the seed for fun and then becoming unable to get out, but not three simultaneously. That leaves seed being dumped on them (which begs some obvious safety questions) or foul play.

I suppose anything is possible, but I hope the authorities turned a critical eye to the deaths.

No, just you. Evidently, they all got in the truck and the seed acted like quicksand.

[Virgil Showlion]

Oct 18, 2015 10:44:51 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Oct 18, 2015 8:38:36 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Does this seem 'off' to anybody else?

How do three girls "somehow become buried" by enough seed to suffocate them?

One kid I could see burrowing into the seed for fun and then becoming unable to get out, but not three simultaneously. That leaves seed being dumped on them (which begs some obvious safety questions) or foul play.

I suppose anything is possible, but I hope the authorities turned a critical eye to the deaths.

No, just you. Evidently, they all got in the truck and the seed acted like quicksand.

If canola seed is anything like mustard seed or barley, I can guarantee you it doesn't act like quicksand. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to burrow even a bit.

A more detailed analysis by the CBC indicated the girls either got in or fell in while the truck was being unloaded. Hence there was an active operation underway. That makes sense to me.

[weltschmerz]

Oct 18, 2015 11:20:42 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Oct 18, 2015 10:44:51 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

No, just you. Evidently, they all got in the truck and the seed acted like quicksand.

If canola seed is anything like mustard seed or barley, I can guarantee you it doesn't act like quicksand. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to burrow even a bit.

A more detailed analysis by the CBC indicated the girls either got in or fell in while the truck was being unloaded. Hence there was an active operation underway. That makes sense to me.

I'm sorry...I forgot that you're a farmer...as well as a safety expert.

Getting stuck in a loaded truck or grain bin is like sinking in quicksand, Blahey explained. Flowing grain moves like liquid and anything more dense sinks down.

And it happens quickly.

An average-sized man will be buried up to his chest in 15 seconds, Blahey said. The surrounding grain exerts pressure on the body, requiring at least 136 kilograms of force to lift him out.

Rescues are difficult and complex, he said. "You can't just reach out and grab him by the hand."

Once a person's face is submerged, it becomes impossible to breathe.

"If you try to draw a breath of air in, your mouth and your nose fill with grain. When you exhale, your chest gets smaller and the grain moves in against your chest. Then you can't inhale, because now you've got all this force against your body, keeping you from filling your lungs."

Canola seeds are also smaller than other crops — tiny enough to drop through the opening of a ballpoint pen, said Blahey. That means the girls would have sunk more quickly and suffocated faster.

www.baytoday.ca/national/safety-expert-calls-for-awareness-after-alberta-sisters-suffocate-in-grain-truck-68841

[Virgil Showlion]

Oct 18, 2015 12:15:57 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Oct 18, 2015 11:20:42 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

If canola seed is anything like mustard seed or barley, I can guarantee you it doesn't act like quicksand. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to burrow even a bit.

A more detailed analysis by the CBC indicated the girls either got in or fell in while the truck was being unloaded. Hence there was an active operation underway. That makes sense to me.

I'm sorry...I forgot that you're a farmer...as well as a safety expert.

Getting stuck in a loaded truck or grain bin is like sinking in quicksand, Blahey explained. Flowing grain moves like liquid and anything more dense sinks down.

And it happens quickly.

An average-sized man will be buried up to his chest in 15 seconds, Blahey said. The surrounding grain exerts pressure on the body, requiring at least 136 kilograms of force to lift him out.

Rescues are difficult and complex, he said. "You can't just reach out and grab him by the hand."

Once a person's face is submerged, it becomes impossible to breathe.

"If you try to draw a breath of air in, your mouth and your nose fill with grain. When you exhale, your chest gets smaller and the grain moves in against your chest. Then you can't inhale, because now you've got all this force against your body, keeping you from filling your lungs."

Canola seeds are also smaller than other crops — tiny enough to drop through the opening of a ballpoint pen, said Blahey. That means the girls would have sunk more quickly and suffocated faster.

www.baytoday.ca/national/safety-expert-calls-for-awareness-after-alberta-sisters-suffocate-in-grain-truck-68841

I spoke from experience. I lived on a farm for a while and climbed into silos full of mustard and barley specifically without any trouble.

Having said that, the grain wasn't moving, and canola seems to be exceptionally dangerous in this regard, per your article.

I appreciate the article. The sarcasm I can do without.

[weltschmerz]

The GUARANTEEING that it doesn't act like quicksand is something I could do without.

You were implying foul play. That was completely unnecessary.

[ArchietheDragon]

Oct 18, 2015 8:38:36 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Does this seem 'off' to anybody else?

How do three girls "somehow become buried" by enough seed to suffocate them?

One kid I could see burrowing into the seed for fun and then becoming unable to get out, but not three simultaneously. That leaves seed being dumped on them (which begs some obvious safety questions) or foul play.

I suppose anything is possible, but I hope the authorities turned a critical eye to the deaths.

Possible that there was a airpocket that collapsed or that the truck was accidentally or otherwise dumped. 

[KaraBoo]

As a teenager, my husband worked at a feed mill and was completely buried inside a silo while attempting to do "something" during an active operation (sorry - not sure what - I wasn't raise on a farm or around grain/feed mills).  

The only reason he was saved was because the guys on the outside of the silo noticed the flow of grain stopped, which is what DH was supposed to ensure from inside the silo, and immediately stopped everything and dug him out.  Thankfully, he wasn't buried deep and they got to him quickly.

I'm sad for the family in this tragic incident.

[Virgil Showlion]

Oct 19, 2015 13:10:49 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Oct 18, 2015 8:38:36 GMT -5 Virgil Showlion said:

Does this seem 'off' to anybody else?

How do three girls "somehow become buried" by enough seed to suffocate them?

One kid I could see burrowing into the seed for fun and then becoming unable to get out, but not three simultaneously. That leaves seed being dumped on them (which begs some obvious safety questions) or foul play.

I suppose anything is possible, but I hope the authorities turned a critical eye to the deaths.

Possible that there was a airpocket that collapsed or that the truck was accidentally or otherwise dumped. 

I get the impression there was an active operation at the time.

[Virgil Showlion]

Oct 19, 2015 11:21:12 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

You were implying foul play. That was completely unnecessary.

What is necessary? We're on an Internet message board in the middle of nowhere.

The details in the article didn't mesh with my experiences on a farm. You provided an article explaining why this might be, and I discovered another suggesting the grain was actively flowing. Discrepancy explained.

Save your indignation for the guy who demands a public inquest into the deaths.

[gooddecisions]

I remember a woman on Oprah talking about the worst day of her life. She was driving her 3 young children (5, 4, 2- one girl and two boys) and a big rig slammed into her mini-van from behind, killing all three of her children. She and her husband were devastated. The parents went through many stages of guilt and suicidal thoughts. But then almost exactly one year later, she gave birth to triplets- one girl and two boys. It doesn't replace their lost children, but it was an amazing story nonetheless. It reminded me of the Book of Job.