Alberta’s agricultural community is struggling to come to terms with the deaths of three young sisters smothered under canola seed near Withrow, Alta.
“There are no words that can be expressed on this tragic incident,” said Luree Williamson, the CEO of Agriculture for Life. “They’ll feel this for generations to come.
“It’s devastating. Just being a member of the agriculture community, I mean, absolutely shaken up.”
Catie, 13, and her 11-year-old twin sisters Dara and Jana were playing on a truck loaded with canola at a rural property 15 kilometres east of Rocky Mountain House on Tuesday when they were buried by the seed.
Family and friends managed to pull the girls out of the grain and performed CPR until emergency crews arrived, but RCMP said two of the girls were pronounced dead at the scene. The third, one of the 11-year-olds, was airlifted to hospital in Edmonton but passed away early Wednesday morning.
READ MORE: 3 young sisters killed in farming incident in central Alberta
Agriculture for Life provides farm safety education. Since it began four years ago, Williamson said, the group has seen a big increase in requests from schools and communities eager to host safety events.
WATCH: Ag for Life holds dozens of farm safety programs at schools each year around the province. On Thursday, the not-for-profit organization was in Thorsby. Vinesh Pratap was there to find out what the program is all about.
There are 18 farm-related fatalities each year in Alberta. About four of those, on average, are children under 14.
Incidents of grain asphyxiation, Williamson said, are quite rare.
“Think about being trapped in quicksand in an avalanche,” she said.
“Grain has a tremendous force…It does act like quicksand that pulls you in. It can render you helpless in under five seconds, meaning you can’t get out.”
It’s more common for injuries or deaths to involve large farming equipment and open water, she said.
“We do continue to see incidents that happen and that reminds us that we need to work together to continually reinforce safety messages, to have that farm safe plan, to talk to your children, talk to your parents, talk to your grandparents about safety.”
The family provided a statement which the RCMP shared on Wednesday:
“Our kids died living life on the farm. It is a family farm. We do not regret raising and involving our kids: Catie aged 13, Dara aged 11 and Jana aged 11, on our farm. It was our life. Thank you for all the overwhelming support we’ve received from first responders, neighbours and friends. We would ask media to respect our privacy at this time of grief.”
WATCH: As police and the chief medical examiner continue the investigation into the deaths of three sisters, loved ones and the community mourns. Michel Boyer reports.
With files from Mia Sosiak, Global News
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