www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,16298479-38200,00.html


Three men die from cow fumes

From: Agence France-Presse
From correspondents in Kiev

August 17, 2005


THREE men in southern Ukraine have suffocated on fumes from a dead cow they were trying to pull from an abandoned well.

The incident occurred in the Odessa region, where five friends found a dead cow in a disused well and tried to pull it out, the emergencies ministry said overnight.

All five climbed into the 12 metre well to make the necessary preparations, but were quickly overcome by the fumes from the decaying animal.

Three of them - a 51-year-old and two 29-year-olds - lost consciousness, while the other two managed to scramble out and ran to a nearby village for help.

Rescuers found the trio dead.

The fumes weren't what killed them really.
It was being in a confined space and using up all the oxygen in it!

Lightweights...after smelling my own, er, gaseous emmissions for a lifetime, a decaying cow would be a trip to the perfume counter at Nordstrom's for me.

In theory could you die from the fumes of decomposing animals?h.gif

don't ever go into confined spaces without testing the atmosphere first, this is an all too common occurance, naturally if your buddy passes out you'll go in after him then your buddy will come after you. always have a plan for rescue. if oxygen levels fall below 19.8% you're in trouble.

What if they had been smoking?  Ka-boom!

A long time ago, a poacher died in a similar way in Alaska.  Apparently, the poacher had shot a moose out of season because the opportunity presented itself, but he didn't have the gear necessary to dress it and pack it out.  So he left the carcass there and went to get what he needed.  While he was gone, the moose's cavities filled with various moosey gasses.  The fucker exploded when the poacher came back and stuck his knife in.