The lock and dam were constructed by the Corps of Engineers. Wilson said if those numbers are not near zero percent, there is risk for another explosion when crews move in for recovery. The recovery mission for their bodies was hazardous for rescue crews. He said their bodies were recovered early on Friday. At approximately 4:30am this morning, Friday, May 14, recovery crews were able to recover the bodies of two men who had been trapped inside Kerr Dam since an explosion occurred at approximately 6 PM Thursday. When the explosion happened, we know one of the men was rescued. He refused medical treatment. The explosion occurred at about 6 p.m. Thursday in an 80-foot-deep interior inspection shaft where workers from DA Smith Drilling, based out of Colorado, were According to KOTV, the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) officials have confirmed both workers were killed. Since the crews were 80 feet above the contractors, Wilson said, they were forced to use an exhaust pipe at the entry point to shoot the flammable gas 20 feet up, and fasten a monitor to a rope to lower the rest of the way to get accurate readings. SHELBY: A BREAKING UPDATE TO THE DAM EXPLOSION RESCUE. The GRDA is Oklahomas largest public power utility, according to its website. Read MoreBroken Arrow community participates in annual Rooster Egg Hunt, A former City of Muskogee councilman has been having issues with land owned by the Union Pacific Railroad for years. Facilities at the lake include boat ramps, picnic areas, RV and tent campsites, swimming beaches, hiking trails and concession stands. Sivadon told 2 News his team was called to assist first responders at Kerr Dam around 6 p.m. Thursday night. The victims identities are pending release by the DA Smith Drilling company and are not currently available, according to the GRDA. WebIt is about eight miles south of the nearest major town, Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Read MoreTPD: Woman sexually assaulted while shopping with her child, Tulsa County prosecutors say the random killings of two men in north Tulsa were likely racially motivated. No GRDA employees were involved in the incident. TWO men were killed and a third person was injured in an explosion in a northeastern Oklahoma dam where they were doing maintenance work. Authorities said the contract workers from out of state were conducting core-sample drilling as part of routine maintenance on the dam. contact this location, Window Classics-Pembroke Park Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. "As far as another explosion or structural problems, we don't feel that there are. The dam is located on the south end of Lake Hudson in Mayes County, which is southwest of Salina. Two contract workers found dead after explosion at Kerr Dam in Mayes County, Breaking update now to the Kerr Dam explosion rescue to workers who were trapped have died. Read MoreFormer Muskogee councilman battles Union Pacific Railroads over property neglect, "Even if the amount of money that someone stole from us isn't huge, the cost of repairing everything is enormous for us," said Brown. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains the locks and navigation system. Officials say the integrity of the dams structure has not been compromised. At the end of the day, we accomplished what we were trying to do," said Terry Sivadon, rescue coordinator for the Tulsa Fire Department. The contractors became trapped Thursday night at Kerr Dam when they hit a methane gas pocket while drilling, which caused an explosion. Officials released more details Friday in the deaths of two contract workers, who were found dead after an explosion at Kerr Dam in Mayes County, in northeastern Oklahoma. Both men were contractors. The bodies were recovered Friday morning according to John Wiscaver, executive vice president of the Grand River Dam Authority. 4141 S Tamiami Trl Ste 23 The GRDA said one person was able to get out of the area after the explosion and refused treatment. Window Classics-Bonita Springs Two workers have died and a third has been injured after an explosion at a reservoir dam in Oklahoma. Sarasota, FL34231 GRDA's internal engineers and other staff are the ones conducting this investigation. Read MoreOwasso woman conquers more than miles at OKC Memorial Marathon. According to the Grand River Dam Authority, an explosion was reported in an 80-foot-deep interior inspection shaft where three workers with Colorado-based DA Smith Drilling were performing ongoing maintenance. Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --, GRDA: Investigation launches after two people died from Kerr Dam explosion. Tulsa, OK (74129) Today. When they arrived, Sivadon said, they quickly discovered it had become a recovery operation. The explosion occurred as the workers were doing core-sample drilling as part of a normal safety maintenance program, Alberty said. Grand River Dam First responders were able to get one worker out of the shaft. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Copyright 2021 KTUL via CNN Newsource. Rescue crews were able to recover the bodies of the two men at about 4:30 a.m. Friday from the inspection shaft. "They were requesting the hazmat truck," Claremore Deputy Fire Chief Matt Wilson said. Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --, Hazardous recovery mission at dam explosion. Read MoreTwo missing girls suspected to be with convicted rapist, A Jenks mother is working to make sure other families don't have to endure the type of tragedy her family suffered. Pace Setter Live. Amazon Has Uncanny Dupes of CB2's Popular Dining Chair for Hundreds Less. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) - Two workers died after being trapped about 80 feet down in a shaft at a dam in Oklahoma. The Kerr Dam explosion accident occurred at about 6:00 p.m. Oklahoma time on Thursday, May 13, 2021. Townsend, Jay. Following an hours-long effort, two men who were trapped following an explosion at Kerr 'Cult mom' Lori Vallow's hair found on duct tape used to wrap son's body, Inside Jeffrey Epstein's private calendar including meeting with Noam Chomsky, Heartbroken family launch new lawsuit against Walmart over son's death, I won $188m lotto, I only got $88m after taxes but there was a bigger blow to come, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP. The three workers were subcontracted to scour the Kerr Dam. WE KNOW ONE OF THE MEN WAS RESCUE. Wilson and his team monitored lower explosive limit levels, which are combustible chemical mixtures, to determine when it was safe for rescue crews to move. Gray Media Group, Inc., contributed to this report. GRDA spokesperson Justin Alberty says a third contractor escaped and that the dam was not damaged by the explosion about 6 p.m. Thursday. The lock, dam, and reservoir are named after Robert S. Kerr, former governor of Oklahoma and U.S. senator from Oklahoma, who died in 1963. This is a developing story. Both men are deceased. There was also a third worker involved, but he was able to make it out safely with minor injuries. MAYES COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) The Grand River Dam Authority confirmed that two contract staff died in an explosion on the Robert S. Kerr Dam. "Once we found out that it was going to be a body recovery, we slowed down and monitored the methane gas and started the ventilation process," he said. 24850 Old 41 Ste 7 Low 44F. The mother of a missing 14-year-old girl in Okmulgee County says police just informed her seven bodies have been found on a property near Henryetta. Dollar worth calculator at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers: Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, U. S. Army Corps of Engineers: Robert S. Kerr Lock and Dam Reservoir, "Oklahoma Water Resources Board: Robert S. Kerr Reservoir", Robert S. Kerr Reservoir information on TravelOK.com, Oklahoma Digital Maps: Digital Collections of Oklahoma and Indian Territory, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_S._Kerr_Reservoir&oldid=1089739355, Bodies of water of Haskell County, Oklahoma, Bodies of water of Le Flore County, Oklahoma, Bodies of water of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Bodies of water of Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, Protected areas of Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, Protected areas of Haskell County, Oklahoma, Protected areas of Le Flore County, Oklahoma, Protected areas of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox body of water with auto short description, Articles using infobox body of water without alt, Articles using infobox body of water without image bathymetry, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 25 May 2022, at 11:22. Officials released more details Friday in the deaths of two contract workers, who were found dead after an explosion at Kerr Dam in Mayes That's what they were in the middle of doing when the explosion happened. The Army Corps of Engineers also manages over 10,000 acres (40km2) surrounding the lake for public hunting. Low 44F. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. In order to get rid of all the hazardous gas, Wilson said they used a fan to pump fresh air into the close-quartered cabin and set up an exhaust on the other end to shoot that gas out. GRDA confirmed there are no structural issues with the dam and they will not be releasing any water. GRDA acquired the three subcontracted workers through the Oklahoma State School of Geology. The two killed were 90 feet deep in an inspection tunnel during the explosion. A third employee with DA Smith Drilling was working higher in the shaft and sustained minor injuries. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. No GRDA employees were involved in the incident. The man that was able to get out is getting checked at a local hospital. contact this location, Window Classics-Tampa Wilson told 2 News it was methane. Bonita Springs, FL34135 Example video title will go here for this video. A spokesperson with the GRDA said the explosion happened when three contractors were conducting routine core sampling checks in a shaft. At approximately 4:30 a.m. this morning, Friday, May 14th, recovery crews were able to recover the bodies of two men who had been trapped inside Kerr Dam since an explosion occurred at approximately 6 p.m. Thursday, said John Wiscaver, executive vice president of GRDA said in a statement. TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) - Two workers died after being trapped about 80 feet down in a shaft at a dam in Oklahoma. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Clear skies. Robert S. Kerr Reservoir is located within the Cookson Hills, on the Arkansas River in Sequoyah, Le Flore, Haskell, and Muskogee counties in eastern Oklahoma, US. A full investigation is underway, but the preliminary results show the explosion was caused by a pocket of naturally occurring gasses, which is not uncommon in geological formations, GRDA officials said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Read MoreSecurity footage captures thief breaking into Tulsa animal shelter's thrift store, OKMULGEE COUNTY, Okla. An emergency alert was issued for two missing and endangered girls Monday out of Okmulgee County.