Father and son died in toxic sewer pit

From the Times Ledger:

A father and son were killed Monday afternoon along with another man who was working with them after they all fell into a well containing toxic gas at a Jamaica recycling plant, authorities said.

Harel Dahan, 23, who worked for the South Ozone Park-based S. Dahan Inc. sewer specialists, was cleaning out the 18-foot-deep hole at a Royal Waste Services recycling center on 172-08 Douglas Ave. with his crew around 2:30 p.m. when he fell in, according to police.

Dahan’s 53-year-old father, Shalom, who founded and owned the company, and Rene Francisco Rivas, 53, who worked for Royal, went down the hole on a ladder to try to rescue their fallen co-worker, but were overcome by hydrogen sulfide fumes, the police said.

A firefighter equipped with a breathing apparatus went into the hole and brought the men out half an hour later, but they were all pronounced dead at the scene, according to FDNY Assistant Chief John Sudnick.