Authorities identify man killed in onion harvesting machine accident in rural Oregon
A 42-year-old man died Tuesday evening when he was accidentally pulled into an onion harvester in Malheur County.
On Wednesday, authorities identified the man as Theodore Frahm, of Ontario, Oregon.
Malheur County Undersheriff Travis Johnson said an individual turned on the onion harvester, not realizing that there was another man behind the machinery. The accident happened near King Avenue, in a rural area between Ontario and Nyssa, Oregon, Johnson said.
Johnson said there is no criminal investigation. He said the call to the Sheriff’s Office about the accident came in around 10:35 p.m.
“They were working really hard to get the onions in before the freeze,” Johnson said. “Any chance (farmers) get to harvest, they’re out there. They’re working early and working late.”
Johnson said he wasn’t sure whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration had been notified of the death.
This story was originally published October 9, 2019 at 11:27 AM.
