AUGUSTA, Ga. -- An alarm call has ended with one deputy dead after he allegedly inhaled liquid nitrogen.
WAGT-TV in Augusta reports that the deputy, identified as Greg Meagher, was responding to Xytex Corporation on Emmett Street in Augusta off of 3:26 p.m.
Firefighters arrived at 3:51 p.m. and found the deputy unresponsive inside the building and an employee nearby. Crews pulled both out of the building but said that the deputy later died. Authorities have since announced that he was attempting to rescue the employee when the nitrogen overtook him.
WAGT-TV reports that other deputies on the scene outside the building also reported difficulty breathing and were taken to an area hospital.
No criminal charges have been issued for this incident at this time.
On December 13, 2016, Air Gas installed a gas tank at Xytex's Augusta facility. Air Gas was responsible for taking out a permit for the installation and was also responsible for asking for an inspection from the Fire Marshal's office once the tank was installed. According to the Fire Marshal's office, Air Gas did neither.
Air Gas asked for these things on December 26, after the tank was already installed.
Both Air Gas and Xytex have each been issued a citation and the tank has since been removed.
The Xytex employee who was injured in the incident is still in critical condition.
Liquid nitrogen is not poisonous but can expand up to 695 times in volume when it vaporizes and has no warning properties such as odor or color. If this happens, it can displace oxygen and cause unconsciousness or even death. Locations that utilize nitrogen in this form are often well-ventilated to prevent this.
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