Abstract: At 10:00 a.m. on July 26, 1999, Employee #1 was sent into a confined space to repair a malfunctioning valve. Employee #1 climbed a ladder to the top of the cement standpipe which stood 15 feet tall and is three feet in circumference. Employee #1 entered the confined space and was observed 20 seconds later trying to leave the confined space. He seemed to have a convulsion and lost his grip falling back into the pipe. A co-worker attempted to rescue Employee #1 but was unable to do so. A nearby independent contractor entered the confined space to rescue Employee #1 but was also overcome. The local fire department was able to extract both Employee #1 and the independent contractor. The independent contractor survived after being hospitalized for several days. Employee #1 died two days later. The coroner determined that Employee #1 and the independent contractor were overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas.