June 13--LEWISTON -- An 80-year-old Lewiston man emerged unharmed Thursday afternoon after spending about three hours stuck inside a grain bin.
Multiple agencies responded to a farm near Lewiston around 11 a.m. when John Daley was reported to have fallen into a grain bin. First responders found him standing up to his shoulders in corn, but otherwise unhurt and not in immediate danger, according to Ron Ganrude, chief deputy of the Winona County Sheriff's Office.
Ganrude said first responders attempted to extricate him with a rope, but Daley's foot was stuck in a grate. A four-piece rescue tube provided by the Lewiston Fire Department was unsuccessful, as was a large piece of farm machinery that Ganrude described as "a huge vacuum cleaner."
A hole was eventually cut in the side of the grain bin around 1:30 p.m., which allowed authorities to free Daley's foot from the grate and remove him through the access door near the top at 2:15 p.m.
Mayo One personnel inspected Daley for injuries, but deemed him healthy. However, Lewiston Ambulance still transported Daley to Mayo Clinic Health System -- Saint Marys in Rochester as a precaution.
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