Hydrogen Sulfide Blamed in Deaths of Two Well Workers at Clyde Township Home

Overview

• Authorities confirmed the men, ages 20 and 21, were overcome by hydrogen sulfide while working on a well at a recently purchased home on Cribbins Road.
• St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King said the crew had used muriatic acid, which he believes off-gassed after reacting with something in the well beneath a porch.
• The victims were identified by family as Michael Kammer Jr., 21, and Daniel Hagle, 20, who were pronounced dead at a local hospital.
• Three other workers were hospitalized for exposure and are expected to recover, and several first responders underwent decontamination as a precaution.
• Deputies backed off on arrival due to a strong chemical odor, the Sheriff’s Detective Bureau continues to investigate, and the medical examiner is still determining the official cause of death.