On Wednesday evening, crews were called to a confined space rescue at a dairy east of Keenesburg.
Angela Case (KUSA), Kevin Vaughan, Janelle Finch
1:50 PM CDT August 21, 2025
5:19 AM CDT August 22, 2025
KEENESBURG, Colo. — Six people, one of them a high school student, were found dead after crews responded to a confined space rescue call Wednesday night at a dairy operation in Weld County.
The Southeast Weld Fire District said they were called to a confined space rescue about 6 p.m. Wednesday at a dairy in the 32000 block of Weld County Road 18, east of Keenesburg. That’s the location of Prospect Ranch dairy.
“Crews responded and took appropriate precautions to enter the confined space to perform rescue operations,” the fire department said. “Unfortunately, District personnel recovered six deceased individuals from the space. The District extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims.”
The coroner’s office said all of the victims were male. Their names and ages have not yet been released, but Weld County School District RE-9 posted on Facebook Thursday night that one of them was a Highland High School student.
UCHealth said three people connected to this situation were treated at their hospital in Greeley and have since been released.
Radio communications from first responders at the scene mentioned a broken pipe and reports that five people had high levels of H2S, or hydrogen sulfide — a highly toxic gas that can be produced from decomposing manure.
“The Weld County Coroner’s Office is investigating these deaths as possibly being the result of gas exposure in a confined space,” the coroner’s office said. “However, final cause and manner of death will await the conclusion of autopsy and toxicology results.”
The Weld County Sheriff’s Office said no criminal activity was involved. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.