Slurry deaths probed
James Wilson (21), of Cloughmills, and James (Kenny) Blair (32), of Rasharkin, were working on a farm near Katesbridge when a slurry container exploded, engulfing them in 150,000 gallons of waste.
The 22-metre flexible storage bag was believed to be the first of its type in Northern Ireland. It is thought the men were standing beside the container, into which slurry was pumped from a tanker.
Specialist rescue teams were called in to retrieve their bodies from a swamp of slurry.
The Dutch manufacturers of the slurry container have also been investigating the tragedy. Their spokesman said more than 400 of the bags had been used without problems. Expressing his sympathies to the dead mens’ families, he added, “At this stage of the investigation, I can say nothing about the cause of what happened.”
James Wilson was due to graduate with a degree in agriculture from Queen’s University next month. His distraught father Robin said, “Farming was his life. There is not much money in it these days, but he wanted to be involved in it. He was filling out lots of application forms and was hoping to get a job with the Department of Agriculture or something.
“He was due to graduate on July 8 and we were going to see him - we just can’t believe he is gone.”
The Rev Hugh Mullan, who led the funeral service for Kenny Blair at Finvoy Presbyterian Church, called for every effort to be made to ensure that such a tragedy did not happen again.
He said Kenny was devoted to his family and had a deep love of farming and animals.
It is understood the two men were hired in to help a Co Antrim-based contractor.
