Overview
- The incident, which occurred on Wednesday 26 August, involved two men who were recovered from an industrial slurry tank at a farm on Cann Lane in Aston by Budworth and were later pronounced dead.
- Firefighters, paramedics including an air ambulance, and police carried out rescue efforts at the scene but could not save the two men, who were aged 72 and 42.
- The Cheshire Agricultural Society named the victims as Alan Ford, 72, and his son Rick, 42, while Cheshire Police have confirmed next of kin were informed and requested privacy.
- Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive attended the farm and are working with Cheshire Police in a joint inquiry to establish how the fall occurred and whether safety or regulatory breaches played a part.
- Slurry tanks can build up deadly gases such as hydrogen sulphide and methane that can render a person unconscious within seconds, a hazard behind past farm fatalities and a likely focus of the ongoing investigation.