Allina ER doc says man trapped in silo faced serious injury

[Farmington Independent, February 11, 2010] From the outside of the Feely Elevator silos, onlookers were left to wonder what was happening inside the silo where Mark Malecha was trapped. Inside, though, ALF (Apple Valley, Lakeville, Farmington) paramedics worked diligently to save Malecha not only from being crushed by the shifting corn, but from toxins that were building up inside his body while he was trapped.

The latter, referred to as crush syndrome, could have resulted in serious complications once Malecha was pulled from the silo. Dr. Paul Satterlee, associate medical director for Allina Medical Transportation and emergency room physician for Abbott Northwestern Hospital, explained that crush syndrome happens when big muscle groups in the body are subjected to an unusual amount of weight for an extended period.