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Few  answers given in  manhole incident

Submitted photo Jabin Lakes

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Police and emergency crews on the scene of an accident that killed a Middletown city worker and injured two firefighters Friday, May 7, 2010.

Staff photo by Gary Stelzer Police and emergency crews on the scene of an accident that killed a Middletown city worker and injured two firefighters Friday, May 7, 2010.

1 died at the scene, 2 remain hospitalized after unidentified fumes overcome them.

Staff Report Updated 2:47 PM Monday, May 10, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — After collecting its own samples from the manhole where one man was killed and three were overcome by gaseous fumes Friday, May 7, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said they do not believe the gases to be by-products of industrial operations.

The Ohio EPA sent an investigator to the scene Friday to investigate the fumes. Heather Lauer, spokeswoman for the agency, said their samples do not indicate the gas came from the blast furnace at AK Steel’s Middletown Works nor are the result of the failure of pollution control equipment or a violation of permit limitations by that facility of Air Products & Chemicals. Both facilities are near where the fatal incident took place.

Since the fumes, which Lauer said reports indicate could be nitrogen, are not connected to any operations it currently regulates or permits, the agency has concluded its investigation. The Ohio EPA will remain in touch with the city of Middletown and remain on-hand if help is needed, Lauer said.

Middletown maintenance worker Jabin Lakes had just started his work day when he was overcome by fumes and fell into a manhole in front of Air Products and Chemicals Inc. at 2500 Yankee Road Friday. Lakes was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy on Lakes is scheduled to be performed today, May 10, to determine whether he was killed by the fall or the fumes.

Two firefighters remain hospitalized after being overcome by gaseous fumes while responding to the incident. Both firefighters were taken by medical helicopter to area hospitals.

Todd Wissemeier was upgraded to fair condition at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton after being admitted to the intensive care unit in critical condition. The 44-year-old was listed in serious condition on Saturday.

Meanwhile, 47-year-old Bob Hess remains in fair condition at Atrium Medical Center. A third firefighter, Thomas Allen, was treated and released from Atrium on Friday, according to police officials.

The three men were overcome by fumes when they attempted to rescue Lakes. The 31-year-old husband and father of two had just started his work day when he was overcome by fumes and fell into a manhole in front of Air Products and Chemicals Inc. at 2500 Yankee Road.

The firefighters were not wearing breathing apparatuses at the time of the rescue because they believed they were responding to a fall, Middletown police Maj. Mark Hoffman said Friday.

On Saturday, crews continued testing air quality at the scene of the fatal accident, although officials have said the fumes present no danger to those in the immediate area because depleted oxygen levels were detected only below the road’s surface.

Based in Allentown, Pa., Air Products provides oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen to AK Steel’s Middletown Works.

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