Overview
- The Weld County coroner said autopsies and toxicology show all six died of acute hydrogen sulfide exposure in a confined space, classifying the manner of death as an accident.
- OSHA has active inspections of Prospect Ranch and contractor Fiske Electric/High Plains Robotics, and the Weld County Sheriff's Office is also investigating, with findings expected to take months.
- The victims were five men and a 17-year-old high school student, including a father and his two sons, all identified by authorities and all Latino.
- Hydrogen sulfide can accumulate in manure pits and enclosed farm areas and quickly become lethal, with olfactory fatigue making the gas undetectable by smell after brief exposure.
- Industry sources have suggested a valve or pump may have been unintentionally activated, but officials have not confirmed any operational cause.