Authorities confirmed Thursday that the six people who died on a Colorado dairy farm in August were exposed to toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, according to autopsies and toxicology reports.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes that exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas in “very high concentrations can rapidly cause death.” However, the exact circumstances that led to the deaths were not detailed in the autopsy reports.
Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless gas with a distinct rotten egg smell. OSHA warns that even survivors of high levels of exposure can experience lasting health effects, including headaches and reduced attention span.
The victims were identified as Ricardo Gomez Galvan, Noe Montañez Casañas, Carlos Espinoza Prado, Jorge Sanchez Pena, Alejandro Espinoza Cruz and 17-year-old Oscar Espinoza Leos. Cruz was the father of Leos and Prado, and the men were also related to Pena by marriage, said Jolene Weiner, deputy coroner for Weld County.
The tragedy occurred at Prospect Ranchlocated in a rural area near Keenesburg, Colorado, less than 40 miles northeast of Denver.
When the incident was first reported in August, authorities immediately suspected gas exposure as the cause. “We are investigating these deaths as a possible result of exposure to gas in an enclosed space,” Weiner said at the time.
At the end of August, rescue workers… Southeast Weld Fire Protection District responded to a report of a confined space emergency and discovered the bodies of the six workers, five men and a teenager, after what appeared to be a tragic accident.
The event had a major impact on the local community, which rallied around the victims' families with fundraising events such as dances, car washes and church-led memorial services.
“People are in shock. Everyone in the ranching and dairy industry knows it's difficult, hard work and accidents happen,” said the Rev. Thomas Kuffel, who oversees Catholic parishes including Holy Family in Keenesburg. “But this is very foreign to them because accidents typically involve one or two people.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to OSHA for comment, but the agency's notice noted that responses may be delayed due to the ongoing government shutdown.