31-year-old dairy farmer Reed Hostetler left behind three children after a preventable manure pit death. Your farm could be next. Are you prepared?
Reed Hostetler should be tucking his children into bed tonight.
Instead, the 31-year-old Ohio dairy farmer’s body lies in a grave after drowning in a manure pit on March 5 – becoming yet another statistic in the dairy industry’s shameful safety record.
As his brothers frantically tried to save him after his tractor overturned, they faced the same lethal trap that claims dairy farmers every year.
The genuinely sickening reality? Every single one of these deaths was preventable. The question isn’t whether more farmers will die in manure pits – it’s whether YOUR operation will be the following deadly headline.
THE FACE OF MODERN DAIRY FARMING: WHO REED HOSTETLER WAS
When a farmer dies, the agricultural media typically reduces them to a cautionary tale – another nameless victim who made a fatal mistake. But Reed Hostetler was far more than that.
At just 31, this Marshallville, Ohio dairy producer embodied the very best of our industry: young, innovative, faithful, and family-focused.
As co-owner of L&R Dairy Farm, Reed worked tirelessly to enhance the legacy passed down to him. His mechanical aptitude was legendary – farmers who could “fix anything” are becoming increasingly rare in our tech-dependent world.
Beyond his technical skills, Reed had developed the sharp business mind required to navigate today’s brutal dairy economics, forming strong relationships throughout the industry.
What makes this loss exponentially more devastating is what Reed leaves behind: his wife Abby and three children under the age of five – Baer (4), Claire (2), and Axe (1).
The stark reality is that these children will grow up without their fathers because our industry continues to tolerate preventable risks.
A LIFE BEYOND THE BARN
Reed’s life extended far beyond the parlor.
He had hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, demonstrating physical endurance and adventurous spirit.
He competed in bull riding events, showing the courage and calculated risk-taking that defines great farmers.
His faith led him to conduct mission work in Thailand, revealing a heart for service that extended well beyond his local community.
This wasn’t some inexperienced laborer who didn’t understand farm risks. Reed was a skilled operator who fell victim to one of the dairy’s most insidious killers – and if it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone reading this right now.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Reed’s Family – https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-cover-funeral-costs-for-reed-hostetler
FARM DEATH PATTERN: WHY ARE WE STILL LOSING DAIRY FARMERS?
Reed Hostetler’s death isn’t an isolated incident – it’s part of a horrifying pattern that dairy leaders seem content to ignore.
Agricultural workers suffer fatal on-the-job injuries at a rate far higher than police officers and more than twice the rate of construction workers, according to the National Safety Council’s Injury Facts database (2024). Yet despite this grim reality, farm safety remains criminally underregulated and underenforced.
“These are not accidents – they’re predictable, preventable tragedies,” says Dr. Robert Johnson, Dairy Safety Specialist at Cornell University. “The technology and knowledge to prevent these deaths has existed for decades. What we lack is consistent implementation.”
Just a few years ago, Alberto Navarro Munoz died a similar death in southern Idaho. His tractor tipped over into a manure pit, submerging him under several feet of what the police report clinically described as a “loose, thick, somewhat liquid-like substance.”
Another worker attempted rescue but told authorities “there was nothing he could do.” The fire department later retrieved Munoz’s body.
THE CASES NO ONE TALKS ABOUT
These eerily similar deaths raise uncomfortable questions the dairy industry must confront:
Why do we continue allowing equipment to operate near unsecured manure pits?
Why hasn’t every dairy farmer received proper confined space training?
And most importantly, why are we still losing lives to a hazard we’ve understood for decades?
Just recently, a young man lost his life when the skid steer he was operating at a dairy went off a push-out ramp, and the entire machine ended up in the manure pit. Unable to escape, he perished – just like Reed Hostetler, just like Alberto Navarro Munoz, just like countless others whose deaths didn’t make headlines.
“What’s most disturbing is how similar these deaths are,” notes Maria Persson, Agricultural Safety Engineer at the Upper Midwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center (UMASH). “We keep seeing the same scenarios play out across different operations. It’s clear we have a systemic problem with safety culture.”
REGULATORY GAPS: WHY OSHA ISN’T SAVING DAIRY LIVES
The painful truth is that government oversight of dairy farm safety remains inadequate.
While OSHA has established programs to protect workers from hazards found on dairy farms – including manure storage, machine guarding, and confined spaces – their reach is severely limited.
For many operations, OSHA inspections aren’t a reality. Only farms with more than 10 employees or those with temporary labor camps may receive OSHA visits. This creates a dangerous perception that smaller operations are somehow exempt from safety standards.
THE SAFETY ILLUSION KILLING FAMILY FARMS
Here’s what every dairy producer needs to understand:
“If you have an employee, you must follow OSHA’s rules,” as OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialist Mary Bauer emphasizes. “You’ll just never be inspected.”
This critical distinction means many farms operate under a false sense of security, believing safety regulations don’t apply.
The industry’s resistance to meaningful safety regulation continues to cost lives. And while immediate family members aren’t counted as “employees” for OSHA inspection purposes, they still die just as quickly in manure pit accidents.
Reed Hostetler’s children don’t care about regulatory distinctions – they only know their father is gone forever.
MANURE PIT KILLERS: THE DEADLY SCIENCE EVERY FARMER MUST UNDERSTAND
What makes manure pits such efficient killers? The perfect deadly combination of physical and atmospheric hazards turns a routine farm task into a death sentence in seconds.
Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is the most dangerous gas in livestock facilities using liquid manure handling systems, according to research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, 2024). It acts as a chemical asphyxiant, immediately reacting with the blood’s hemoglobin to prevent oxygen from being carried to the body’s vital organs.
Unfortunately, people have died from exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas.
H₂S: THE INVISIBLE KILLER YOU CAN’T SMELL WHEN IT MATTERS
H₂S Exposure Danger Levels (Source: NIOSH/Journal of Agricultural Safety and Research, 2023):
- 0-10 ppm: Detectable by smell, mild irritation
- 10-50 ppm: Eye/respiratory irritation, headache, fatigue
- 50-100 ppm: Strong irritation, dizziness, rapid breathing
- 100-300 ppm: Loss of smell, unconsciousness, possible death
- 300+ ppm: Immediate collapse, respiratory paralysis, death
What’s terrifying is how rapidly these concentrations can spike. During manure transfer and agitation, hydrogen sulfide concentrations can increase by over 100 times compared to undisturbed pits, according to field measurements published in the Journal of Dairy Science (2024).
Even pressure washing can cause 20-fold increases due to the disturbance of liquid manure.
“What many farmers don’t realize is how quickly the situation deteriorates,” explains Dr. Thomas Sanderson, Professor of Agricultural Engineering at Iowa State University. “You can go from safe conditions to lethal gas concentrations in under a minute during agitation. That’s why strict protocols are essential – there’s no margin for error.”
When a tractor overturns into a pit, as in Reed’s case, the victim faces not only the risk of drowning but also of being rapidly rendered unconscious by toxic fumes that can reach lethal levels within minutes of disturbance.
THE DOMINO EFFECT: WHY RESCUE ATTEMPTS TURN DEADLY
The most heartbreaking aspect of manure pit fatalities is the “domino effect” they create. When one person falls victim, others often attempt a rescue without proper equipment and succumb to the same fate.
Reed’s brothers desperately tried to save him – they were fortunate not to become additional victims.
This emotional reality makes manure pit accidents particularly devastating. The natural human instinct to help others in distress becomes a deadly trap when toxic gases are involved.
This pattern has been observed repeatedly in agricultural settings, multiplying the tragedy.
“The reality is brutal but needs to be stated clearly,” says Agricultural Safety Consultant and former OSHA compliance officer James Ferguson. “If someone falls into a manure pit and you don’t have proper rescue equipment immediately available, you must assume they’re already dead. Going in after them without protection almost guarantees we’ll be recovering multiple bodies.”
YOUR DAIRY SAFETY CHECKLIST: IMPLEMENT THESE MEASURES NOW
If reading about Reed Hostetler’s death doesn’t motivate you to assess your operation’s safety protocols immediately, nothing will. Here are the critical steps every dairy farm must implement, organized by operation phase:
BEFORE: PREPARATION & PREVENTION
1. Physical Barriers Are Non-Negotiable
- Secure fencing around entire pit perimeters (OSHA standard 1910.23)
- Gates with proper locking mechanisms
- Clear, multilingual warning signage visible from all approaches
- Physical barriers preventing equipment from accidentally entering pits
2. Train All Workers Properly
- Train all workers on H₂S awareness, risks, and dangers
- Train all workers on your standard operating procedures related to manure handling
- Document all safety protocols in languages understood by all workers
- Test comprehension before allowing pit proximity
3. Equipment & Monitoring
- Purchase personal H₂S monitors from industrial safety stores (NIOSH recommends monitors that alarm at 10 ppm)
- These monitors typically have a two-year lifespan before requiring calibration or replacement
- Ensure ventilation systems are fully functional and maintained
- Maintain a minimum 30 cm (1 ft) gap between the bottom of the slats and the manure level
DURING: OPERATIONAL SAFETY
1. When Pulling Gravity Transfer Plugs:
- Wear a personal H₂S monitor
- Use a buddy system or maintain reliable communication with a co-worker
- Post warning signs in areas or on doors
- Maintain ventilation fans at full speed
- Leave the room once manure transfer begins
- Follow a regular plug-pulling schedule to reduce H₂S accumulation
2. During Agitation or Power Washing:
- Ensure no personnel are in the barn while agitating under-barn manure storage
- Do not agitate until there is a minimum of 60 cm (2 ft) between the slats and the manure level
- Remove animals from the room above the manure storage if possible
- Post warning signs on all entry points
- Maintain ventilation at maximum capacity
3. Never, Under Any Circumstances:
- Bend over a manure pit
- Enter a pit, manure tanker, or transfer pit without proper equipment and procedures
- Work alone near manure handling systems
- Ignore alarms on H₂S monitors
AFTER: EMERGENCY RESPONSE
1. If Exposure Occurs:
- Proceed to a safe area immediately if H₂S monitor alarms sound
- Seek medical attention for anyone experiencing symptoms
- Document the incident thoroughly
- Review procedures to prevent recurrence
2. In Case of Accident:
- NEVER enter a pit to attempt rescue without proper equipment
- Call emergency services immediately
- Identify the situation as a confined space/toxic gas emergency
- Use only proper respiratory protection and mechanical retrieval equipment
COMPLIANCE IS THE BARE MINIMUM
Remember that occupational safety regulations exist as a floor, not a ceiling.
Ontario’s regulations, like many US standards, specify that H₂S concentrations must not exceed 10 ppm when worker exposure is 8 hours per day, and short-term exposure (15 minutes) must not exceed 15 ppm (Ontario Ministry of Labour, 2024).
Your goal should be to maintain levels well below these thresholds.
“Following the minimum requirements isn’t enough,” warns Catherine Reynolds, Agricultural Insurance Specialist at Farm Bureau Financial Services. “From an insurance perspective, operations beyond compliance with comprehensive safety programs prevent tragedies and benefit from lower premiums and better coverage options. The financial incentives for proper safety management are substantial.”
THE FINANCIAL FALLOUT: WHAT A DAIRY DEATH COSTS
Beyond the immeasurable human tragedy, manure pit fatalities carry devastating financial consequences that many operations simply cannot survive.
OSHA PENALTIES: JUST THE BEGINNING
Fines for OSHA violations range from $15,625 for serious violations to $156,259 for each willful or repeated violation as of January 2024, according to OSHA’s published penalty structure.
A single fatal accident typically involves multiple violations, potentially reaching hundreds of thousands in penalties.
INSURANCE AFTERMATH
Following a fatal accident, farm insurance premiums often skyrocket – if coverage remains available.
Many carriers cancel policies after such incidents, leaving operations vulnerable to crushing liability.
THE LITIGATION TIDAL WAVE
The legal aftermath of farm fatalities frequently includes wrongful death lawsuits from surviving family members.
These cases regularly result in multi-million dollar judgments that can force even well-established operations into bankruptcy.
“The average wrongful death settlement in agricultural fatalities now exceeds $4.7 million,” notes Jeffrey Martinez, agricultural liability attorney with the Farm Legal Resource Center. “And that doesn’t account for the legal fees, which can easily reach six figures even before trial.”
The blunt financial reality is that properly guarding a manure pit might cost thousands, but failing to do so could cost millions—or everything.
YOUR CHOICE: ACT NOW OR RISK EVERYTHING
Reed Hostetler should still be alive today.
His children should still have their father.
His wife should still have her husband.
His family farm should still have his innovative mind and mechanical talents.
Instead, they have grief, loss, and a community trying desperately to fill an unfillable void.
The dairy industry can no longer accept these deaths as unfortunate but inevitable “accidents.” Predictable, preventable tragedies continue to occur because too many operations prioritize convenience over safety.
Every single person reading this article must make a choice:
Will you implement the safety measures that could save lives in your operation today?
Or will you gamble that what happened to Reed Hostetler won’t happen to you, your family members, or your employees?
Remember that Reed Hostetler probably made the same calculation if you choose the latter. His children will spend the rest of their lives living with the consequences.
Key Takeaways
- Deadly Science: Hydrogen sulfide in manure pits can spike to lethal levels (100+ ppm) within seconds during agitation or disturbance, causing rapid unconsciousness and death without warning or smell detection.
- Essential Safety Equipment: Personal H₂S monitors, proper ventilation systems, secure physical barriers, and clear warning signage are non-negotiable minimum protections every operation must implement.
- Financial Reality: Beyond the human tragedy, a fatal manure pit accident typically costs millions through OSHA penalties (up to $156,259 per willful violation), insurance consequences, and wrongful death settlements averaging $4.7 million.
- Proactive vs. Reactive: Following the comprehensive Before/During/After safety protocols detailed in this article is significantly cheaper than the devastating alternatives—both financially and morally.
- Industry Accountability: The dairy sector can no longer accept these deaths as “accidents” when they follow predictable patterns and can be prevented through established safety practices that too many operations continue to neglect.
Executive Summary
The tragic death of 31-year-old Ohio dairy farmer Reed Hostetler in a manure pit accident highlights one of the industry’s most preventable yet persistent killers. Manure pits produce lethal hydrogen sulfide gas that can reach fatal concentrations within seconds of disturbance, rendering victims unconscious before they can escape. Despite well-established safety protocols—including physical barriers, gas monitors, proper training, and emergency procedures—dairy operations continue to lose lives because of inadequate implementation. Beyond the devastating human cost to families like Hostetler’s, these accidents carry crushing financial consequences through OSHA penalties, insurance implications, and wrongful death lawsuits that regularly exceed $4.7 million. Every dairy operation must choose between implementing comprehensive safety measures today or gambling with lives, livelihoods, and legacies.
Learn more
- “Silent Killers: Top 5 Deadliest Spaces on Your Dairy Operation”
- “Safety vs. Efficiency: Why Modern Manure Management Systems Are Worth Every Penny”
- “Beyond Regulations: How Wisconsin’s Top Dairies Created a Safety Culture That Actually Works”
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