Abstract: Employee #1 was in approximately 3.5 feet of water in the bottom of an open surface tank equalization basin, approximately 206 feet in diameter. Employee #1 was attempting to determine why the tank was not draining through the 42-inch diameter bottom drain. It was necessary to drain the standing water from the tank, so that the header jets and aeration piping equipment could be installed in the bottom of the tank. A three quarter inch thick plywood plug or cover had been placed over the drain roughly five months before. Approximately 1-to-2 weeks before laborers had drilled holes in the plug in an attempt to allow the tank to drain slowly, in preparation for the installation of the pipe. Employee #1 used a board to remove some plastic sheeting covering the holes. He then used a spud bar to poke the plywood cover to determine why the water was not draining. Witnesses state that Employee #1 suddenly attempted to turn and run, but was sucked into the drain pipe as the water began to drain rapidly. Employee #1's drowned body was recovered at the end of the drain pipe, about 115 feet from where it entered.