Farmer electrocuted in his cornfield when tractor touches power line, Iowa cops say
An Iowa farmer was fatally electrocuted when he tried to exit his tractor after hitting a power line, authorities said.
Clayton County deputies responded around 2:45 p.m. June 2 to a report of an electrocution at a cornfield off Highway 25, according to a June 11 news release from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies found 68-year-old John Berns dead at the scene near a tractor “fully engulfed” in flames, according to the sheriff’s office.
Berns was spraying the field when his tractor boom hit an overhead power line, authorities said. He was electrocuted as he “attempted to exit the tractor,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Berns’ son was at the scene and tried to revive him, authorities said.
“John’s greatest joys in life were farming and family,” his obituary said.
Berns’ family farm in Garnavillo earned the 150+ Heritage Farm recognition during his lifetime, according to the obituary.
Garnavillo is about an 90-mile drive northeast from Cedar Rapids.
This story was originally published June 11, 2024 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Farmer electrocuted in his cornfield when tractor touches power line, Iowa cops say."
