By STAN MADDUX

Indiana Correspondent

PLYMOUTH, Ind. — A 22-year-old Indiana dairy farm worker was killed Sept. 16 in an explosion and fire while trying to rescue several dozen calves.

David Fajardo of Logansport was employed at Homestead Dairy in Plymouth for four months.

“Plant workers are still in shock and mourning,” said Jill Houin, calf manager at the 5,800-head operation.

Houin said Fajardo was cleaning one of the pens in the building when he backed a skid loader into a propane tank. She said he went outside, then ventured back in to try to rescue the calves, when gas leaking from the ruptured tank exploded.

The propane was used to heat water for the automatic feeders distributing milk to the newborn calves, she said.

“Our workers knew him. He was a good kid,” Houin said.

About half the barn was destroyed from the explosion and fire. She said a fireball melted the curtains and burned some hay in another barn next to it, but those flames were contained without much, if any, damage to that structure.

She said 27 of the 50 milking calves inside a newborn pen died in the explosion and fire.

About 380,000 pounds of milk are produced daily from 4,900 milking cows at the farm. Also kept are 900 calves for later milk production. Houin said all the milk from the dairy is sold under the Great Value brand at Walmart.

Fajardo, who had just celebrated his birthday in early September, was born in Mexico and is survived by his parents and a sister, all of Logansport. According to his obituary, he was also employed at Tyson Foods and had attended Logansport High School.