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Barn Worker In Jarrettsville Killed When Roof Comes Crashing Down

JARRETTSVILLE, Md. (WJZ) -- An investigation is underway after a man is killed while working on a farm. He was inside a barn when the roof came crashing down on top of him.

Christie Ileto has the latest on what happened in Jarrettsville.

Police say Daniel Dixon, 32, was working on the barn when the roof collapsed. His co-workers called 911 and then tried to use their equipment to free him from the fallen roof. Unfortunately, they were not successful. All they could do was wait for help.

Tactical rescue teams rushed to save a man trapped inside a collapsed barn in Jarrettsville. But police say within minutes of the roof caving, the Cecil County resident, Daniel Paul Dixon, died.

"The roof trapped him on top of the first floor and what would be considered the flooring of the second floor," said Edward Hopkins, Harford County Police.

Rescue teams spent the next hours Wednesday night combing through debris to make sure what's left of the barn is stable enough to retrieve Dixon's body.

"He is a young worker and was here along with a few other workers," said Jennifer Chenoworth-Price, Harford County Fire & EMS.

Property owner John Canova says he only knew the victim by his first name. He was one of the contractors hired to work on the barn.

Canova says he was standing on the first floor. Dixon was in the hayloft.

"I heard a little noise because I was down in the bottom. I heard a little noise and some dust came down and I thought maybe he stepped on a board," Canova said. "I don't believe this. How can it change from one second to another?"

While it's unclear what caused the roof to flatten on top of the barn's walls, rescue teams did later retrieve Dixon's body among the fallen debris.

Dixon's body has since been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The cause remains under investigation. There is no word if snow on the roof may have been a factor.

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