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Man dies while cleaning sewer drain at mid-Michigan church

Posted at 9:56 AM, Jun 01, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-01 14:14:14-04

MOUNT HALEY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a man has died after he apparently passed out while cleaning a sewer drain at a church in mid-Michigan and got stuck in the drain.

The Midland County sheriff’s department says the 66-year-old Freeland man went to Mount Haley Church of God on Wednesday to clean leaves from the drain. A church secretary checked on him about 15-20 minutes later and found him head-first in the drain, which is located in a hole on church property.

The department says it’s believed that the man likely died due to lack of fresh air. His name wasn’t immediately released and the death is being investigated as an accident. The church is located about 100 miles (161 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.