GrainCorp’s Dunolly site photographed in December 2024. Image: Google Street View

WORKSAFE Victoria is investigating after a man in his sixties became trapped in a silo at a GrainCorp facility in the state’s Central Goldfields region on Tuesday.

Emergency services were called to the Dunolly site at about 3.23pm.

Multiple Country Fire Authority units and a specialist Oscar 1 rescue unit were on scene supported by Fire Rescue Victoria, Victoria Police, SES, Ambulance Victoria and GrainCorp.

A CFA spokesperson said the silo was about 10 percent full, with crews slowly removing the man to ensure he did not become further entrapped.

“Crews that were first to arrive worked on securing the grain so it did not further envelop the person, and then subsequent crews worked on getting them out,” the CFA spokesperson said.

“A platform was built to gain access and then crews were able to slowly remove the trapped person.”

They said the incident was declared safe at 7.08pm.

“Crews were able to work together for a successful outcome and free the man from the silo.”

A specialist Air Ambulance Victoria helicopter crew, as well as Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) and Advanced Life Support paramedics assessed and treated the man at the scene.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said the man was airlifted to Bendigo Health in a stable condition.

“Advanced Life Support paramedics remained on scene to support our emergency service partners by providing health monitoring,” the spokesperson said.

A GrainCorp spokesperson said the team supported emergency services as they responded to the incident.

“The individual involved was safely removed from the silo, assessed by ambulance officers and transported to hospital for observation,” the spokesperson said.

“They have since returned home.

“Our focus remains on the wellbeing of our employee, and we thank emergency services for their swift response.”

A WorkSafe Victoria spokeswoman confirmed that an investigation into the incident was underway.

Recent silo-related accidents

The most recent similar reported incident occurred in June last year, when a man in his 80s became trapped in a silo containing urea on a property at Eurombah, near Roma in southern Queensland.

Emergency services manually removed the fertiliser, and the man was airlifted to Roma Hospital in a stable condition.

There were two reported silo-related incidents in 2024, including one in July when a man in his 60s died at a property at Salt Creek, South Australia.

He had become trapped in a silo which was full of lupins at the time of the incident.

Earlier that year, at Arcturus near Emerald, a 34-year-old man was lucky to survive after the bottom of a grain silo collapsed when he was working under it.

The man became trapped under the metal and tonnes of grain.

He sustained significant lower-limb injuries and was airlifted to Rockhampton Hospital.

Grain Central: Get our free news straight to your inbox – Click here