Two staffers dead after falling into tanker filled with manure

Summary: A man who fell in love with firefighting at an early age died when he rushed into a tanker filled with manure to help a coworker in distress.

The incident: When he was just four years old, Tyler Memory was proud to ride in a fire truck driven by his father, who was the chief of the Tully, NY, Fire Department. The boy fell in love with firefighting. So it wasn’t a surprise when he became a volunteer firefighter as soon as he was eligible to do so.

As a volunteer firefighter, of course, Memory also needed a regular job. So he also worked as a truck driver for Dairy Support Services.

One good thing about the job was that Memory got to work with his good friend, Nathan Doody, who was a volunteer firefighter with the Cuyler, NY, Fire Department.

One day two men were unloading manure from a tanker attached to a truck at a farm in Clinton, NY. They were about to leave the job site when Doody noticed that a tool was missing. He began to search for the tool inside the tanker when he lost consciousness and fell into the manure pile. Once Memory realized that his friend was in distress, he looked inside the tanker. But the toxic fumes produced by the decaying animal manure also overcame Memory.

The response: A coworker called 9-1-1 and responders arrived a short time later. However, they could only remove the lifeless bodies of the two firefighters from the tanker.

The aftermath: Memory – also known as Tully firefighter Number 294 – was remembered for his compassionate nature.

“You taught me so much,” wrote Tully firefighter Joe Nemier. “How to be a better firefighter, friend and person. I will always remember you and never forget you. Thank you for being my best friend. Always and forever, Number 294. Rest now.”

(From the July 8, 2024, issue of Safety Alert for Supervisors. To start your no-obligation trial subscription to the publication right now, please click here.)