A young Michigan man’s courageous act has tragically cost him his life as he attempted to save a colleague from toxic gas exposure during a cleaning assignment. Twenty-year-old Daniel Hagle made the ultimate sacrifice while trying to rescue his coworker, Michael Kammer Jr., aged 21, who had been overcome by toxic fumes while they worked together on a well.
The incident unfolded on a Tuesday when Kammer, utilizing potent cleaning chemicals in a tight space, inadvertently created a fatal situation. The combination of these substances produced hydrogen sulfide gas, which filled the area beneath the porch, knocking Kammer unconscious, according to reports from WXYZ News.
As the toxic gas spread, Hagle quickly realized the perilous situation and called for assistance before bravely descending into the well to try and pull Kammer to safety. Unfortunately, the noxious fumes overwhelmed both men, and despite efforts to save them, they were pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital.
In the wake of this tragedy, Hagle is remembered fondly by his loved ones. His mother, Cherrie Hagle, shared with the Daily Mail, “He loved people – his friends, family, community – even strangers.”
The toxic fumes quickly overtook both men and they were tragically pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital.
‘He loved people – his friends, family, community – even strangers,’ his mother Cherrie Hagle told the Daily Mail.
A GoFundMe page also paid tribute to his ‘bravery and compassion’.
‘His final moments are a testament to the kind of person he was – always willing to help others, even at great personal risk,’ the page reads.
Daniel Hagle (pictured), 20, of St. Clair County, Michigan, was killed trying to pull a coworker to safety from a home being overtaken by deadly toxic gas on Tuesday
Hagle’s colleague, 21-year-old Michael Kammer Jr. (pictured), became unresponsive, prompting Hagle to call for help before climbing into the well in an attempt to pull him out
Hagle was on a routine well-cleaning job at a newly sold home in Clyde Township when a chemical reaction filled a tight space beneath the porch with deadly hydrogen sulfide gas
His mother, Jenny Kammer, told the outlet in an emotional phone interview that she watched first responders retrieve her son’s body and said the moment was so overwhelming she just ‘collapsed’.
‘I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t do nothing. I just froze. No mother should have never had to see that,’ she said.
‘He didn’t have any clothes on. They brought him out naked because of all the chemicals on his clothing from the well,’ she added.
Three more people were rushed to the hospital for gas exposure in the tragic incident, though all are expected to recover.
‘The deputies, at first, wanted to try and help, but they could smell gas from where they exited their vehicle near the road and realized they could obviously be overcome by these fumes as well,’ St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King told WXYZ.
‘They had to back off until fire (fighters) were able to get on the scene and have the proper PPE to enter the area,’ he added.
The men were working with muriatic acid to clean the well, a routine task Kammer’s father said his son had been performing since his teens.
‘This has been apparently a substance they used in the past, but this was a confined space, so when the acid interacted with a mineral or chemical in that well, it off-gassed,’ King explained.
‘His bravery and compassion in his final moments are a testament to the kind of person he was – always willing to help others, even at great personal risk,’ Hagle’s GoFundMe page reads
The toxic fumes quickly overtook both men, and they were tragically pronounced dead after being rushed to the hospital
The men were working with muriatic acid to clean the well, which police said was apparently ‘a substance they used in the past, but this was a confined space’ (pictured: Hagle)
According to King, Hagle ‘saw his partner go down,’ understood he was unresponsive, and made a desperate effort to get him out of the well.
‘When he went in there, he was then in that confined space, and he was overwhelmed by the gases as well,’ he said.
As their families grieve the sudden tragedy, the medical examiner is working to confirm the official cause of death for both young men.
‘It’s tragic, you know, we have two young men that were out working, working hard, you know, trying to make their way, and unfortunately, like I said, that variable of the confined space seems to be the difference,’ King said.
Loved ones of both Hagle and Kammer have launched GoFundMe campaigns to help their families cover unexpected funeral expenses.
Duane Hagle and his wife Cherrie described their son as ‘the most hardworking boy,’ noting that he was an honors student and a top contributor to his tech class’s clothing donation drive.
They told the Daily Mail his death has deeply affected the community, where he was known for volunteering at a local church and for being a devoted companion to a Vietnam veteran.
Whenever he saw a veteran, he would immediately run over, dropping everything else to show his utmost respect and compassion by shaking their hand.
Kammer’s GoFundMe page read: ‘He got up to go to work, never expecting that he would not return home’
St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King (pictured) said: ‘Hagle ‘saw his partner go down,’ understood he was unresponsive, and made a desperate effort to get him out of the well’
The community has rallied around the family, organizing vigils at the high school, candlelight lantern memorials and even dedicating a park bench in honor of the young hero.
Hagle loved vegetable gardening with his father and working alongside local farmers, with dreams of one day taking over their hay farm.
His mother told the Daily Mail that he was very close to his family and that some of their best days were spent traveling together to cabins and across dozens of states, with a dream of visiting all 50, Hagle’s obituary added.
In his GoFundMe, he was described as a ‘devoted son, brother and friend,’ who is remembered for ‘his warm heart, sense of humor and the kindness he showed to everyone around him.’
‘He loved spending time outdoors, especially fishing and camping, and was always willing to lend a helping hand to neighbors and friends,’ according to the fundraiser.
Kammer’s GoFundMe page read: ‘He got up to go to work, never expecting that he would not return home.’
‘This freak environmental accident has shaken our community, and his family is now facing the unexpected burden of funeral expenses and memorial costs,’ it added.
‘Mikey was a great kid who loved his family, hunting, and his coon dogs. He was always ready to lend a hand and brought joy to everyone around him.’
