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Drowned by Corn
One morning in 2010, four teenage boys in a small Illinois town went to work in a grain bin—one of those towering silver cylinders that contain corn and dominate the midwestern landscape. But something went terribly wrong. By day's end, some would be alive. Others would not. A close-knit community would be devastated, forced to endure. This gripping true story centers on what happened to one courageous and flawed young man who survived, and how his life quickly spiraled out of control in the next two years. It is a story about love, unbreakable friendship, and "king" corn. “There are some forty-five thousand items in the average American supermarket and more than a quarter of them now contain corn,” writes Michael Pollan in The Omnivore’s Dilemma. But as international dependence on the highly subsidized crop for cattle feed, corn syrup and ethanol has surged—so have deaths by corn.
Based on three years of reporting and interviews with the people involved and thousands of pages of court documents, transcripts, police reports, journalist Erika Hayasaki brings to life (in narrative nonfiction-style) this world of people who risk and sometimes lose their lives for this powerful commodity. Hayasaki, a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, is the author of The Death Class: A True Story About Life (Simon & Schuster 2014), as well as the Kindle Single, Dead or Alive (2012). She is an assistant professor in the Literary Journalism Program at the University of California, Irvine, and a regular contributor to Newsweek and The Atlantic.
*Cover design by Kristen Radtke
Praise for DROWNED BY CORN:
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: "The descriptions of the accident are chilling: a blow-by-blow account of the grain pulling the young men under and the dramatic rescue of Will, who survived after being buried past his chest. The piece follows Will as his grief sends him into a downward spiral. "Drowned by Corn" is a gripping narrative of tenderness and horror, friendship and loss." — Megan Kirby
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: "Erika Hayasaki’s suspenseful account of the deaths of Paco and Wyatt and the harrowing rescue of Will is the stuff of nightmares. But what elevates this fine work of investigative journalism is her portrayal of Will in the aftermath: his survival guilt, his struggle with alcohol and drugs, his strained relationships and his eventual discovery of a way to endure his and his town’s unspeakable losses." — Porter Shreve
Based on three years of reporting and interviews with the people involved and thousands of pages of court documents, transcripts, police reports, journalist Erika Hayasaki brings to life (in narrative nonfiction-style) this world of people who risk and sometimes lose their lives for this powerful commodity. Hayasaki, a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, is the author of The Death Class: A True Story About Life (Simon & Schuster 2014), as well as the Kindle Single, Dead or Alive (2012). She is an assistant professor in the Literary Journalism Program at the University of California, Irvine, and a regular contributor to Newsweek and The Atlantic.
*Cover design by Kristen Radtke
Praise for DROWNED BY CORN:
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE: "The descriptions of the accident are chilling: a blow-by-blow account of the grain pulling the young men under and the dramatic rescue of Will, who survived after being buried past his chest. The piece follows Will as his grief sends him into a downward spiral. "Drowned by Corn" is a gripping narrative of tenderness and horror, friendship and loss." — Megan Kirby
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: "Erika Hayasaki’s suspenseful account of the deaths of Paco and Wyatt and the harrowing rescue of Will is the stuff of nightmares. But what elevates this fine work of investigative journalism is her portrayal of Will in the aftermath: his survival guilt, his struggle with alcohol and drugs, his strained relationships and his eventual discovery of a way to endure his and his town’s unspeakable losses." — Porter Shreve
- GenresNonfiction
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2014
47 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Erika Hayasaki
5 books58 followersThe Death Class: A True Story About Life
COMING IN JANUARY 2014 FROM SIMON & SCHUSTER
When nurse and professor Norma Bowe decided to teach a course on death at a college in New Jersey, she never expected it to be popular. But year after year, students crowd into her classroom and the reason why is clear: Norma's "death class" is really about how to make the most of what poet Mary Oliver famously called our "one wild and precious life."
Under the guise of discussions about last wills and last breaths and visits to cemeteries and crematoriums, Norma teaches her students to find grace in one another.
By following her over three years, award-winning journalist Erika Hayasaki shows how Norma steers a group of extraordinary students from their tormented families and neighborhoods toward happiness: she rescues one young woman from her suicidal mother, helps a young man manage his schizophrenic brother, and inspires another to leave his gang life behind. Through this unorthodox class on death, Norma helps kids who are barely hanging on to understand not only the value of their own lives, but also the secret of fulfillment: to throw yourself into helping others.
Hayasaki's expert reporting and literary prose bring Norma's wisdom out of the classroom, transforming it into an inspiring lesson for all. In the end, Norma's very own life — and how she lives it — is the lecture that sticks.
Erika Hayasaki spent nine years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times before becoming an assistant professor in the Literary Journalism program at the University of California, Irvine. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles Times Best Writing Award, the Association of Sunday Feature Editors Award, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors Breaking News Award. She had also been a two-time finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
COMING IN JANUARY 2014 FROM SIMON & SCHUSTER
When nurse and professor Norma Bowe decided to teach a course on death at a college in New Jersey, she never expected it to be popular. But year after year, students crowd into her classroom and the reason why is clear: Norma's "death class" is really about how to make the most of what poet Mary Oliver famously called our "one wild and precious life."
Under the guise of discussions about last wills and last breaths and visits to cemeteries and crematoriums, Norma teaches her students to find grace in one another.
By following her over three years, award-winning journalist Erika Hayasaki shows how Norma steers a group of extraordinary students from their tormented families and neighborhoods toward happiness: she rescues one young woman from her suicidal mother, helps a young man manage his schizophrenic brother, and inspires another to leave his gang life behind. Through this unorthodox class on death, Norma helps kids who are barely hanging on to understand not only the value of their own lives, but also the secret of fulfillment: to throw yourself into helping others.
Hayasaki's expert reporting and literary prose bring Norma's wisdom out of the classroom, transforming it into an inspiring lesson for all. In the end, Norma's very own life — and how she lives it — is the lecture that sticks.
Erika Hayasaki spent nine years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times before becoming an assistant professor in the Literary Journalism program at the University of California, Irvine. She is a recipient of the Los Angeles Times Best Writing Award, the Association of Sunday Feature Editors Award, and the American Society of Newspaper Editors Breaking News Award. She had also been a two-time finalist for the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 22, 2017
It was very hard for me to read this book, and I felt sick reading it. I grew up in this town. I know these families. I remember when Will and Paco and Wyatt were born. This author did a great job at telling this tragic story. I never knew what happened to Will afterward, but I'm so amazed at the progress he has made in becoming sober. I feel like Wyatt sent Leonard into Will's life to help heal him. I will never forget this day. My thoughts and prayers will always be with all involved.
November 30, 2015
Drowned by Corn
This was a wonderful and sad story. When I started reading it I had no idea that it was a true story. I'm still wiping tears from my eyes. The only good thing is that Will is clean and sober today after all that he has been through. This really makes you stop and think about how dangerous a corn mill really is and how much we depend on it.
This was a wonderful and sad story. When I started reading it I had no idea that it was a true story. I'm still wiping tears from my eyes. The only good thing is that Will is clean and sober today after all that he has been through. This really makes you stop and think about how dangerous a corn mill really is and how much we depend on it.
September 18, 2017
If you have never lived in farm country you probably don't know how dangerous farm life can be and you probably don't know how dangerous it can be to go into a grain bin. The corn can suck you down like quicksand and you literally die from drowning in the corn. Hence, the name of the book. This actually happened to 3 boys who were friends and working at a job where normal safety measures were not followed. One boy was saved but the other two died. How did the deaths of his friends effect him? This is an e-book short you can read in a few hours.
March 6, 2015
Brought me to tears..
I was scrolling through the kindle book store when the title of this book caught my eye. It's such a strangely specific title, I had a feeling I knew just what it was about.
I went to school with these young men. I remember that fateful day like it was yesterday, just waiting and waiting for updates from others.
This book was amazingly written and definitely showed a side of this incident and the happenings in Will's life after, that not many others knew.
The books a short, but almost life altering read.
I was scrolling through the kindle book store when the title of this book caught my eye. It's such a strangely specific title, I had a feeling I knew just what it was about.
I went to school with these young men. I remember that fateful day like it was yesterday, just waiting and waiting for updates from others.
This book was amazingly written and definitely showed a side of this incident and the happenings in Will's life after, that not many others knew.
The books a short, but almost life altering read.
April 28, 2022
Interesting story ruined because it is badly written
The first chapter is very interesting and incredibly tragic. Watching your friends getting sucked in to corn and drowning makes you want to cry. After that chapter the book goes off the rails. It's about the lone survivor but is terribly written. The journalist who wrote this book changes tense, verse, and even topics mid-paragraph over and over which makes it hard to follow what she is trying to tell. It reads more like a tale written by someone in high school not a professional writer. It isn't until the epilogue that you realize her whole point of the story is that the corn farming industry is not well regulated and is killing children but that is lost in the awful writing style.
The first chapter is very interesting and incredibly tragic. Watching your friends getting sucked in to corn and drowning makes you want to cry. After that chapter the book goes off the rails. It's about the lone survivor but is terribly written. The journalist who wrote this book changes tense, verse, and even topics mid-paragraph over and over which makes it hard to follow what she is trying to tell. It reads more like a tale written by someone in high school not a professional writer. It isn't until the epilogue that you realize her whole point of the story is that the corn farming industry is not well regulated and is killing children but that is lost in the awful writing style.
July 29, 2017
I thought the title and cover of this book was perfect. Most people don't know that you can drown without dying. I liked this book a lot because it provided a lot of information about how these terrible grain bin tragedies occur. With ties to the Midwest this story is often repeated as are the elevator explosions. In this case, failure to follow safety guides and lack of training were the main culprits. The life of Will the survivor, is riddled with mistakes and bad choices. However, he is certainly a victim of survival guilt, and this book does not paint a rosy picture. His struggle with the guilt, grief and remorse is very real.
May 22, 2017
This book was riveting. It jarred me when I realized it is a true story. I have never heard of walking down the corn or even getting inside of a cylo, much less drowning in the corn stuff! How horrid.
The book was written well in that it had what I consider three parts. The accident, the aftermath of the survivors and the years after that.
I said a prayer for the survivors and will continue to pray for them.
The book was written well in that it had what I consider three parts. The accident, the aftermath of the survivors and the years after that.
I said a prayer for the survivors and will continue to pray for them.
October 10, 2017
Excellent and compelling
Very good true story about a subject most of us know nothing about (agricultural deaths) that morphs into something lots of us know...addition and redemption.
Very good true story about a subject most of us know nothing about (agricultural deaths) that morphs into something lots of us know...addition and redemption.
August 27, 2017
So horrifyingly sad. I know safety costs but it is so important to maintain in order to avoid incidents such as these.
December 20, 2021
I picked this because the title made me curious. I didn't realize it was non-fiction and absolutely heart wrenching too.
April 15, 2018
A compelling story of an industrial accident and how the lone survivor struggles with guilt. It was a short read, but had me totally entranced from start to finish. There's not much else to say here - I highly recommend this novella.
February 13, 2017
Factual and verll!
Factual and very interesting! I learned lot and I'm proud of Will! I've been sober for 2 years myself! It works if you work it!
Factual and very interesting! I learned lot and I'm proud of Will! I've been sober for 2 years myself! It works if you work it!
January 13, 2015
A horrific accident I found very hard to read about, begins this Kindle short story. The story of the accident was intense and well told. The remainder of this short story I found lacking. It is not clear to me why she tried, fairly unsuccessfully to me, to weave the overpowering predominance of corn in our agriculture and our current food choices, into her narrative. This did not advance the story or add to it, it just seemed like an aside. The lone survivor of the accident which resulted in the deaths of several young men in a grain elevator filled with corn, dominates much of the story. This part was mostly flat for me. Not very compelling. An opportunity was missed here. The story needed an editor, as there were several glaring grammatical errors. At one point in the narrative she mentions therapy for the survivor. Over several paragraphs she mentions a therapist, a psychiatrist, and a psychologist. Which was it? All three? Very unclear. I like attention to detail, and it is lacking here.
In summation, the story is intense, horrifying, but the telling left much to be desired. 2.5 points!
In summation, the story is intense, horrifying, but the telling left much to be desired. 2.5 points!
July 30, 2015
This reads like a freaking soap opera with flowery language serving no purpose except a poor attempt to fluff up the impossible. Yes, this story must be told but the focus shouldn't be on Will's ptsd or his struggle with drugs. What he endured is unimaginable and everyone involved in this situation has been altered in some way, but that shouldn't be the moral of the freaking story. Focus on the heart of the matter and how EASILY this horrific event should have been avoided. Focus on the lazy, money hungry idiots who think taking insane shortcuts with other people's lives to save themselves a buck is ok. Focus on making sure this never ever ever happens again. This is real life, not a made for TV movie.
January 12, 2015
This short, non-fiction Kindle e-single is a nicely done work of journalism that delves into a serious problem that sometimes has tragic outcomes. As corn has easily become the major crop in the U.S. (mostly to produce corn syrup and ethanol), the demand for cheaper and faster production methods has resulted in poorly trained workers (often teens) being hurt and killed in silo accidents. This story highlights one such accident in rural Illinois, and the aftermath on the lives of both the victims' families and a survivor. A very compelling and sobering read.
April 17, 2015
Frightening...
Two boys drown in corn while a third surveys to drown in the emotional aftermath. One hopes he really does understand there was nothing he could do. Also that the man who hired the boys understands that his lack of use of available safety equipment was responsible. And the "big corn" company ought to give up the appeals. Too bad the author didn't give us the names of the companies who use that companies corn--an addendum is in order. Consumer boycott anyone?
Two boys drown in corn while a third surveys to drown in the emotional aftermath. One hopes he really does understand there was nothing he could do. Also that the man who hired the boys understands that his lack of use of available safety equipment was responsible. And the "big corn" company ought to give up the appeals. Too bad the author didn't give us the names of the companies who use that companies corn--an addendum is in order. Consumer boycott anyone?
January 9, 2017
Warning: Christian content/assumptions
The first 4/5 of this book are fact-based and genuinely interesting, albeit a bit dry. Then at around 80%, the author takes a detour to focus on one of the victims finding Jesus and singing the praises of the 12 step movement. It really doesn't seem relevant to the story , and will be very disappointing to any readers who are not Christian and don't buy into the AA cult.
- Read via Kindle Unlimited
The first 4/5 of this book are fact-based and genuinely interesting, albeit a bit dry. Then at around 80%, the author takes a detour to focus on one of the victims finding Jesus and singing the praises of the 12 step movement. It really doesn't seem relevant to the story , and will be very disappointing to any readers who are not Christian and don't buy into the AA cult.
- Read via Kindle Unlimited
May 26, 2017
This is a Kindle Single but it didn’t seem short to me at all. It’s a true story that had me glued to the pages, not wanting to stop for a second. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for these boys, or the emotions the survivors still carry today. A very gripping story.
I loved how the community pulled together. A very good book!
I loved how the community pulled together. A very good book!
August 6, 2015
Terrible accident, but this could have been written better and with clearer focus. I kept wishing this had been a story in Chicago magazine. They have similar long-form journalism but the writing and storytelling is better.
January 27, 2015
Good read
A very sad but important story. Well written and shocking, the book drew me in very quickly. I'm glad that there are stricter safety regulations in place now and this story should help educate people on the dangers regarding grain silos.
A very sad but important story. Well written and shocking, the book drew me in very quickly. I'm glad that there are stricter safety regulations in place now and this story should help educate people on the dangers regarding grain silos.
February 12, 2015
A tragic story but one that needed to be told. I had no idea corn was used in so many products, in such high demand and that workers were so unregulated and unsafe. This is not to say regulations do not exist, they do, but are apparently are ignored, either due to ignorance or time constraints.
February 23, 2015
This short but wonderful piece almost seemed like a nonfiction novel. hard to imagine things like being in a ten foot silo to break apart corn in conditions like this happens at all. especially so close to Chicago and Rockford.
March 18, 2015
Drowned By Corn, By Erika Hayasaki
She had me from the first page. Maybe because I am from the Midwest and I found it to be accurate and interesting. I would be happy to read more by Nagasaki.
She had me from the first page. Maybe because I am from the Midwest and I found it to be accurate and interesting. I would be happy to read more by Nagasaki.
April 5, 2015
Interesting read lots of information
Good read. Keeps attention. Great information in a short read. Provokes thought on safety issues farmers face daily that are not evident to one's not in the trade
Good read. Keeps attention. Great information in a short read. Provokes thought on safety issues farmers face daily that are not evident to one's not in the trade
June 4, 2020
This short work is a both a synopsis of a grain accident that took place in Mount Carroll, Illinois in July 2010 and the story of the lone survivor, Will Piper, in the years following. Grain bin work is extremely dangerous, and if workers do not follow safety procedures . . .
January 15, 2015
Depressing but interesting.
February 11, 2015
Heartbreaking!
I was reluctant to read this book as my husband works at a Grain Elevator. This is a very heartbreaking story, but one that I think needed to be told.
I was reluctant to read this book as my husband works at a Grain Elevator. This is a very heartbreaking story, but one that I think needed to be told.
February 6, 2015
Ok
Great story, very sad. Can't say I was thrilled by the way it was written. The story seemed to drag on into unrelated topics.
Great story, very sad. Can't say I was thrilled by the way it was written. The story seemed to drag on into unrelated topics.
February 11, 2015
review
Well told tragic occurrence that could have been prevented by the enforcement of regulations in place at the time of the accident.
Well told tragic occurrence that could have been prevented by the enforcement of regulations in place at the time of the accident.
May 24, 2015
Incredibly tragic and eye opening story telling. So sad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews