Police investigate death

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Police continue to investigate the death of a man who collapsed on Saturday while working for a contractor inside an empty storage tank at a Seymour company.

Daniel U. Sweatt, 43, of Henderson, Kentucky, and several co-workers had been sweeping up dust and debris on a floating roof inside the tank at Enterprise Products Partners LP when he collapsed, Jackson County Reserve Officer Scott Davis said on Saturday. The company is at 10197 E. County Road 1000N.

His fellow workers with Summit Environmental Services of Evansville told Davis that Sweatt had been sweeping and sat down for a moment to rest. He then got up and began sweeping again before collapsing, Davis said.

Sweatt’s co-workers carried him through the top-hatch of the tank before administering CPR and using an automatic external defibrillator in an attempt to save his life, Davis said.

Those efforts failed and Jackson County Coroner Roger Wheeler pronounced Sweatt dead at the scene, Davis said.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour.

Sweatt had worked for Summit for four years.

The tank, which can hold 67,000 barrels of natural gas, did not contain fumes or gases inside the tank at the time, Davis said. The crew had been wearing respirators while cleaning the tank, Davis said.

Sheriff Mike Carothers also was involved in the investigation of the incident, reported at 12:15 p.m. Saturday. Personnel from Redding Township Volunteer Fire Department and Jackson County Emergency Medical Services assisted at the scene.

Enterprise Products provides energy services to producers and consumers of natural gas, crude oil and refined products, and petrochemicals.

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