A dad made a tragic final phone call to his wife before he was killed along with his two daughters.
Dylan Danielson, 32, and his daughters, Hayven, 12, and Fayeah, eight, were at the Horizon Biofuels plant in Fremont, Nebraska, on July 29 when the tragic incident happened.
According to Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg, the two girls were at the plant ahead of a doctor's appointment and were waiting for Danielson to finish work (via ABC News).
A dust fire caused a blast at the plant, leading to the collapse of parts of the building. Sadly, the trio was unable to escape, and the bodies of the three family members were located.
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Emergency teams struggled with the thick smoke and flames, with the damage leading to a structural collapse, and Danielson’s body was found around 24 hours later.
The bodies of the two girls were recovered later that same night.
Hayven and Fayeah were half-siblings, and the eldest girl’s step-dad, Robby Baker, spoke to a local news outlet about the last call Danielson made to his wife.
"Right after the building collapsed, he was pinned inside of it," Baker told KMTV News. "He made a phone call to his wife and said where the girls were at, get someone in there to get them out, and he was pinned in, and there was fire all around him.
"Our lives are in there. We need to get them out.”
According to reports, it was Danielson’s turn to look after his daughter Fayeah, as Baker further explained: “It’s his time to get them for one week, one week off. This week was his. His boss lets him bring them to work.”
Relatives have now set up GoFundMe pages in tribute to both girls.
A message on the fundraising website for Hayven read: “Hayven will always be a beautiful, goofy, caring, and bright ray of sunshine who gained her angel wings too soon. Let's show this family some love. We love you, Hayven, and we'll meet again.”
And Fayeah’s family said on her GoFundMe: “She had such a bubbly personality and lit up every room that she entered. She was a proud Swiftie, a devoted sister, a great friend, and a creative soul who loves fashion, crafts and art.”
The plant makes animal bedding, as well as wood pellets for heating and smoking food, according to ABC News.
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) announced on August 4 that it has launched a formal investigation into the explosion.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens said: “This horrific incident should never have happened. We want to prevent a terrible tragedy like this from occurring again.”
Gregory Robinson