Methane gas kills five people at dairy farm

The farmer, Scott Showalter, 34, apparently was transferring manure from one small pit to a larger holding pond and died from the gas. In an attempt to rescue him, his wife, two young daughters and a farmhand also went into the pit and died.

Cattle feed
Farmers are typically very careful when ventilating manure pits because of the methane. A family member questioned whether cattle feed could have trickled into the pit and accelerated the formation of the gas.

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