The men were from Katy, Willis and Cleveland, Texas.
TRINITY, Texas — Officials have identified three men who died following a gas leak in Trinity.
According to Trinity County Sheriff Woody Wallace, three men who were working in the sewer area were found unconscious due to a leak of hydrogen sulfide and subsequently died.
The men were identified as:
John Nelson, Sr., 52, of Cleveland, Texas (H20 Innovations)
Bradley Wrightsman, 46, of Katy, Texas (H20 Innovations)
Brad Hutton, 47, of Willis, Texas (Hydroclear Services)
A shelter-in-place order was established within a quarter mile of the Westwood Shores sewer plant, but was lifted Wednesday afternoon. Residents are still asked to avoid the Dawns Edge and Creekway to Oakridge areas in Westwood Shores.
It was determined that the gas leak was contained to the manhole. Once it was deemed safe for first responders to access the manhole, crews began the recovery process. Chief Deputy Jeremy Carroll says because of the lift station’s location, several other pumps were feeding into it and crews had to pump water out to get to where the workers were located. One of the lines below the manhole started to crack, so one of the crew members went into the hole to cap the line and prevent the backup and overflow when he became unconscious. At that time, one of the crew members from H20 Innovations went after him, and also became unconscious. Officials believe the third individual from then descended to save the other two and was subsequently rendered unconscious.
OSHA has been notified of the incident. The Trinity County Sheriff’s Office does not suspect foul play or criminal action at this time. The bodies have been sent for autopsy.
H2O Innovation President and CEO Frédéric Dugré issued a statement about the tragic incident Wednesday evening:
“This is a profoundly difficult day for our team. Earlier today, two H2O Innovation employees and a contractor lost their lives in a tragic work accident. They were valued members of our team, and their sudden passing is an immense loss not only to their families and friends but also to all of us who had the privilege of working alongside them.
Right now, we know that several members of our team and a team of contractors we work closely with reported to a scene in Trinity to conduct repairs. While working on a sewer, three people died. We are still working to determine what led up to the deaths, working closely with the Trinity County Sheriff’s Office and other local officials. Safety and training are incredibly important to us.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the three people who lost their lives. This is a sad day for our entire team. Right now, we are focused on doing all we can to support the families of those employees and the rest of our team. Out of respect for them and the continuing investigation, we will release more information when it is available and as permitted by the families and law enforcement.”
Frédéric Dugré , H2O Innovation President and CEO