When two young men suffocated inside of a grain bin in Carroll County, Illinois in July of 2010, a local company used the tragedy as motivation to create a life-saving tool.
The Great Wall of Rescue was constructed in Lanark, Illinois by Eastland Fabrication, LLC., a tool that can be used to rescue people who've become entrapped in grain bins. While it's not the first concept of a rescue tube, the inventors say it's the simplicity and affordability of it that makes it easier to use than other products on the market.
"It's very simple," said Kirsten Kniss, a saleswoman for Eastland Fabrication. "It consists of panels that slide together with a ball and socket joint. They are made of aluminum, weighing about 20 pounds apiece."
Kniss continued, "The whole concept of it is that fire departments are going to enter a grain bin when somebody is trapped in the grain and aren't able to get out on their own. They will form a circle around them, and what that is going to do is it is going to retain the corn."
In January 2014, the Great Wall of Rescue was used to save a man in Rockton, Illinois. Local fire departments were able to create a barrier around the man and slowly scoop the grain surrounding the man, eventually pulling him to safety.
Kniss said they have clients from all around the world, including Austrailia, Denmark and Canada. Hundreds of models have also been sold across the United States.
Kniss added local fire departments can purchase the product starting at $1,800 dollars.