TWO fathers who were working on a farm in Stapleford Tawney, near Ongar, died as one attempted to drag the other from a slurry pit, a coroner's court has heard.
Paul Gray, 48, and Craig Whipps, 27, were both overcome by fumes at Albyns Farm on July 15, 2011 after Mr Whipps became submerged in slurry and Mr Gray had tried desperately to pull him to safety.
At a hearing before a jury in Chelmsford on Monday, it emerged that Mr Whipps may have become trapped after removing bolts from a faulty valve, which caused slurry to pour out.
Shortly before the incident, Mr Whipps and a colleague, Calvin Otto, had been emptying the contents of a storage tower into a slurry tank just below.
Such was the strength of toxic fumes, (including hydrogen sulphide) released with the slurry that both men would been overcome almost immediately. Mr Gray, from Stapleford Tawney, had three children and Mr Whipps, from Norfolk, was a father-of-two.
Speaking before the inquest Mr Whipps' widow Vicky said: "Craig was a lovely husband who should have had many years of family life ahead of him.
"His whole family are very proud of what he achieved in the time he was with us.
"Now we just want to try to raise awareness of some of the hidden dangers of working in an agricultural environment in the hope that the same thing will not happen to anyone else."
Keith Barrett, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, representing the Gray family, said: "The Gray family have been left devastated by the loss of Paul and they hope the inquest will provide answers about the circumstances that led to his death."
A conclusion and verdict from the two day hearing in Chelmsford was expected on Tuesday after the Gazette had gone to press.
