By Ashley Rueff Tribune reporter

10:36 a.m. CDT, May 9, 2013 A southwest suburban man who was trying to repair a 12-foot-deep well in Michigan’s upper peninsula Wednesday died when the dry ice he was working with removed oxygen from the bottom of the well, authorities said.

James Ennis, 77, of Orland Park, climbed down into the well near a summer cabin in Waucedah Township in Dickinson County in an attempt to repair the well’s pipes, said Sgt. Dave Stuck with Michigan State Police Iron Mountain Post.

“They were actually working to try to get water pumped out of the well into the camp,” he said. “He was trying to use dry ice to shrink the pipes to make them fit better.”

A friend who was with the man lowered dry ice into the well after Ennis had climbed down, police said. Ennis attempted to climb out of the well when he began running out of oxygen, but he lost consciousness.

Emergency personnel responded to a 911 call made by the man’s friend at 1:49 p.m., and Ennis was removed from the well by a volunteer firefighter who wore a breathing apparatus, Stuck said, but he could not be revived.

Police said the death appeared to be accidental, and an autopsy was scheduled for this morning.

arueff@tribune.com

Copyright © 2013 Chicago Tribune Company, LLC

Submitted on 05/09/2013

Submitted by: Perry Frulla
Reference: ChicagoTribune, May 9, 2013

Copyright © 2013 DarwinAwards.com

Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
We've gotten stories in the past of people succumbing to a lack of oxygen when they fell into pits, cesspools, etc. but I never would have expected a story quite like this. Climbing down into a well with dry ice just boggles my mind! Thanks, Perry.

Candi said:
Definitely Keep: Darwin Award
Using dry ice to shrink the pipes, what? Dry ice is frozen CO2... wow. Thanks Perry!

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