BLOMKEST, Minn. (WCCO) – Leaders of a small town in western Minnesota say a volunteer firefighter killed in last night’s storm helped make their town what it was.
Ryan Erickson, 63, was killed when a grain silo on the family farm collapsed on his car. The state treats the loss as a death in the line of duty.
On Thursday evening, Ben Vlaminck, the deputy fire chief for the town of Blomkest, said he received a call for an ongoing search just a few miles from the city’s downtown. Along the way, he says that’s when he and his team set out to find one of their own.
They were responding to the Erickson family farm, home to Ryan Erickson, who had worked for the department for decades.
Erickson, who was 63, was crushed under a grain silo and later died.
Community members say he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend who was quick to lend a helping hand in any way he could.
READ MORE: Firefighter killed in Blomkest on 2nd night of dangerous storms
The Blomkest fire crew says for them that the reality of the situation continues to set in.
“Chaotic. In terms of all of our resources that we brought into the county, it was amazing to see everyone working as a team even though they knew the circumstances of what was going on,” said Vlaminck.
Erickson is survived by his wife, two daughters and several grandchildren.
“He was my go-to person if I needed anything,” Blomkest Town Mayor Doug Hopp said. “If I needed help or anything. He was my trusted person. »
“I think about the impact it’s going to have on our lives because it was very important to our day-to-day activities and the things we were doing,” Blomkest clerk Barb Gilberts said. “It will be a long adjustment.”