Posted at: 11/17/2009 8:54 PM | KSAX.com
By: Becky Nahm
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Officers Rescue Man from Rosemount Ammonia Leak

The first officers on the scene of a deadly ammonia leak said they could feel the chemical burning their eyes and their noses, but they could also see a man lying on the ground who needed their help.

Rosemount police officer Scott Sandell and Dakota County deputy Matt Schuster said as soon as they heard the words ammonia leak they knew they were dealing with something dangerous.

Sandell said, "Whenever you hear something like that you're instantly thinking of anything possible."

Police said two truck drivers from Oklahoma were filling their tankers with anhydrous ammonia at CF Industries fertilizer plant in Rosemount Monday when something went wrong.

Brian Spencer of CF Industries said, "We don't know yet exactly what happened, but for some reason the loading arm detached on his truck while liquid ammonia was being pumped through the pipe."

According to police, an employee immediately shut of the system and calle 911.

But the ammonia had already overcome Robert Larry Shue, 31, of Kingfisher, Okla. He died at the plant.

Roy Thomas Taylor, 56, of Moore, Okla., was still alive when Sandell and Schuster arrived. They worked with another truck driver to pull Taylor to safety.

Schuster said, "Between the three of us we just kind of scooped up the victim from the ground and just dragged him backwards out to a safe location."

Taylor remains in critical condition at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

Sandell and Schuster were treated at Regions and released. Both have returned to work.

Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were at the plant Tuesday looking into the cause of the accident.