CLYDE TWP, MICH. (WWJ) Two young men died from hydrogen sulfide exposure while working on a well in St. Clair County, sheriff's officials said.
The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report of two unconscious men just before noon on Tuesday, February 17.
According to sheriff's officials, the two men in their early twenties had been working on a well at a recently purchased home in Clyde Township on Cribbins near Bryce.
Authorities said deputies arrived to a "strong chemical smell." First responders rushed the men to the hospital where they were pronounced dead.
They were identified as a 20-year-old from Riley Township and a 21-year-old from Clyde Township. Their names were not released.
Multiple first responders were decontaminated at the hospital, sheriff's officials said.
The St. Clair County Emergency Management Team, Clyde Township Fire Department, TriHospital EMS and the St. Clair County Hazmat Team all responded to the scene. The St. Clair County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
Hydrogen Sulfide is a colorless gas, known for its pungent "rotten egg" odor that occurs naturally in sewers, oil and gas wells and water wells. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, it is "extremely flammable and highly toxic" and can make working in confined spaces hazardous. Health consequences range from headaches to unconsciousness and death.