ST. PARIS – A 66-year-old Sidney man died early on Friday morning while working third shift at KTH, according to a report provided by the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

Michael Ray Chappie was reportedly found pinned between two coils when KTH co-workers discovered him after returning from a break. Chappie was reportedly a crane operator at the factory. The sheriff’s report noted the factory’s workers were having “issues with measurements on the coils” and enlisted Chappie to assist.

The co-workers found Chappie sitting in the center hole of a coil and checked for a pulse but could not feel one.

A member of the KTH emergency response team (ERT) advised a Code Blue was announced and members of the ERT administered chest compressions and oxygen until Johnson-St. Paris EMS could respond to the scene, according to the sheriff’s office report.

According to KTH security video made available to view by sheriff’s deputies at the scene, Chappie was seen at 12:44 a.m. walking to the crane that has a 30,000-pound steel coil attached to it. Chappie was seen with the hand-held remote that solely operates that particular crane. The crane was shown to be active by a red light activating on the crane and Chappie was walking between the crane that held a coil and another coil that is seated on the ground. The crane and coil then shifted and struck Chappie, according to the video footage viewed by the deputies, where Chappie momentarily dropped from view in the footage. The top of Chappie’s head then reappeared in the video footage at 12:45.16 a.m.

At 1:16 a.m. a KTH co-worker found Chappie pinned, and at 1:21 a.m. the crane and coil were moved off Chappie. At 1:22 a.m., the video showed a gathering of employees in the area working as the ERT to begin life-saving efforts. This is where the video footage concluded.

The sheriff’s office report stated the Johnson-St. Paris EMS arrived at 1:30 a.m. to transport Chappie to a hospital.

JSP Chief Scott Massie said KTH employees had initiated CPR on Chappie and, upon arrival, JSP EMS continued CPR up until arriving with him at Kettering Health Piqua. Massie said Chappie neither had nor regained a pulse after the time he was discovered pinned between the coils.

According to the sheriff’s report, the Miami County Coroner Dr. William Ginn called and requested to speak with the investigating deputy. Ginn advised the deputy he was having Chappie’s body sent for an autopsy.

A Montgomery County Coroner’s Office investigator also spoke with the investigating deputy. The deputy told the coroner’s investigator that KTH officials said the company would provide the security video if their legal department gives approval to do so.