On May 1, 1990 at 5:30 p.m. members of the Hustontown Volunteer Fire Company in Fulton County were out performing a service call. They were requested to pump out a covered unused well that was emitting a foul odor.
When the pump was placed at the top of the well it was not able to draft water from the well so two firefighters took the pump down into the well and started it. After about 15 minutes one of the firefighters complained that he was starting to feel sick. A firefighter entered the well in an attempt to rescue the men but was unable to do so. Another firefighter descended the ladder and tied a rope around one of the unconscious firefighters. Other firefighters entered the well in an attempt to rescue their brothers but only one made it out alive. Thomas Lane, 39, James Chestnut Jr. 20, and Richard Hershey, 40 perished in the well. It was later determined that all three died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Additional resources were requested at 7:30 p.m. including the Vigilant Hose Company for the Shippensburg Area Vertical Extrication and Search Team (S.A.V.E.S. Team) with 14 men. The team under the direction of Larry Kerns set up a haul system and monitored the atmosphere in the 38-foot deep well. Danny Byers and Jim Pickings were lowered through the four-foot opening. Within five minutes Byers located the victim about four to five feet below the water with a pike pole. A harness was attached to the victim and he was brought to the surface.
In all firefighters from more than a dozen companies were on the scene along with Life Flight helicopter from Geisinger Medical Center, two medic units and a scuba team from Huntington County. About two-dozen people were treated at a local hospital.
The three firefighters were buried a few days later with full fire department honors.
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