| News for Yuma, Imperial Valley, El Centro, AZ
Ten farmworkers, two in serious condition, were transported to the hospital Friday night after a crop duster sprayed them with chemicals while they were working in a field west of Avenue G and County 12th Street.
Emergency personnel with Rural/Metro responded to the scene at about 7:30 p.m. At first they were told only two farmworkers had been sprayed, but once on site the first responders found the “crop duster had also passed over two field worker buses, which gives us 40 more patients,” said Rural/Metro Captain Don Graham.
Many of the farmworkers were complaining of irritation to the eyes, nose, throat and skin after being exposed to the agricultural chemicals.
Because of the large number of patients involved, Rural/Metro was assisted by the Yuma Fire Department and the Somerton/Cocopah Fire Department.
Emergency personnel with Rural/Metro and YFD set up a portable decontamination zone at the site while Yuma County Sheriff's deputies cordoned off the area.
The process of decontaminating each farmworker involved stripping them down and then rinsing them off with a fire hose. The situation was made even more unpleasant because the temperature was in the mid-50s.
“Unfortunately it is cold,” Graham said. “I have had it done to me, and it is necessary. The chemical involved is a mild skin, eye and throat irritant. You just don't want it on you.”
After being sprayed off by a firehose, the patients were given gowns and blankets “to keep them warm,” Graham continued, adding those who were transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center were placed in the back of ambulances in which heaters were operating. After initial decontamination, at least 10 farmworkers were sent to YRMC for additional treatment.
Rural/Metro would not release the name of the chemical used in the incident, but noted the fungicide and insecticide mixture can cause coma in large amounts. However, Graham did not believe the farmworkers had been exposed to enough of the agchemical to cause a coma.
He said the dose they were exposed to was not full strength since the chemical had been mixed with water before being sprayed by the crop duster.
“We are talking ounces to cover an entire acre,” Graham said.
Rural/Metro would not release the name of the crop dusting company responsible for the incident, and the Yuma County Sheriff's Department personnel on scene refused to comment.No other information was available as of press time Friday.
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YUMA - KSWT News 13 has learned a crop duster has sprayed about three dozen people working in a west Yuma field.
It happened this evening at Avenue G and West County 12th Street.
Rural Metro Fire Department says about 33 people were working in the field when they were doused with chemicals from a crop duster. Charly McMurdie of Rural Metro says the spray consisted of an insecticide and a fungicide. The area is being treated as a haz-mat scene.
Teams from multiple agencies were on scene, including Yuma Fire, the Yuma County Sheriff's Office and Somerton. The sprayed workers were being decontaminated on-site and then taken to the hospital in multiple ambulances.
McMurdie says at least 10 people were taken to the hospital. Eight people had minor injuries. Two people were transported with serious injuries.
At this time, it's unknown why the crop duster sprayed the field while people were in it.
KSWT News 13 will continue to follow this story and bring you further details as they become available.
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