Friday Feature: Pipeline Farming Accident

by | Jul 11, 2025 | Farm Equipment, Farm Safety, General Agriculture

At the recent National Association of County Agricultural Agents Conference, I attended a training where a video was shared that really got my attention, called Three Seconds Later.  The video shared the tragic story of a father and son that lost their lives when the farm equipment they were operating struck a gas pipeline that ran through their field.  The farmers were installing tile drainage.

There are pipelines and utility cables buried all over in rural areas.  This video is a harsh reminder of why Call Before You Dig 811 is so important.  Utility markers on field edges or road right-of-ways don’t provided the exact location of these buried utility lines, but serve as a reminder to request location marking before digging, building fence, or using any type of digging equipment.

This 12-minute documentary is an award-winning, first-person account of a tragic drain tile accident and its impact on a close-knit community. The film was produced by the Drain Tile Safety Coalition, a non-profit organization promoting farm safety and the Farm Safe 811 system in partnership with the Pipeline Operators for Ag Safety and the Pipeline Association for Public Awareness. Learn more about the Drain Tile Safety Coalition and about Farm Safe 811. 

Doug Mayo
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