Two Off-Duty Volunteer Firefighters Die After Falling Into Manure Tanker in Upstate New York

Two volunteer firefighters died after falling into a manure tanker at a cattle farm in upstate New York, one of whom died while trying to save the other, police said Friday.

Two off-duty volunteer firefighters tragically lost their lives after falling into a manure tanker at Champion Farms in Clinton, New York, police reported on Friday.

Nathan Doody, 33, of DeRuyter, and Tyler Memory, 29, of Tully, were performing their day jobs as manure tanker drivers when they were overcome by toxic fumes and fell unconscious into the tanker. The incident occurred while one of the men was attempting to retrieve a piece of equipment that had fallen inside. When the other man tried to rescue his colleague, he too was overcome by the fumes and fell into the tanker.

Farm staff discovered the unconscious men and called 911. Despite being transported to a local hospital, both men were pronounced dead upon arrival. It remains unclear which of the men fell into the tanker first.

Nathan Doody, 33, of DeRuyter and Tyler Memory, 29, from Tully, were working their day jobs when they fell unconscious and tumbled into the tanker after being overcome by noxious fumes emanating from within.

Tyler Memory, a third-generation firefighter, had been a dedicated member of the Tully Joint Fire Department since he was 14 years old, serving for 15 years. Nathan Doody had been a volunteer at the Cuyler Fire Department in Cortland County for a decade. Both men were well-known and respected in their communities.

Champion Farms, a historic 10th-generation beef and dairy farm, spans 3,500 acres and has been operational since the early 1800s.

According to the National Agricultural Safety Database, manure fumes, particularly hydrogen sulfide, can produce toxic gases that are lethal to both humans and livestock at high concentrations. Just one or two breaths of hydrogen sulfide at high levels can be fatal, causing headache, nausea, dizziness, and unconsciousness.

This incident is reminiscent of a 2021 tragedy in Ohio, where three brothers died after inhaling toxic fumes while attempting to repair a pump inside a manure storage pit on their family farm.