Rural Kahlotus mourns brothers
Fourth- generation farmers in Franklin County community died after being overcome by fumes in cistern
KAHLOTUS, Wash. – The Columbia Basin town of Kahlotus is dealing with the deaths of two brothers who were leaders in the community of 220 people.
Kurt Harder, 45, and his brother Eric, 39, died Friday when they were overcome by fumes while using a gas-powered pump to drain a leaking cistern at Eric’s home.
The men were the great-grandsons of one of Kahlotus’ founders, Hans Harder, and fourth-generation operators of the family farm and ranch.
The brothers climbed inside the 6,500-gallon cistern intending to drain, patch and refill it, said their older brother, Bill Harder Jr.
Kurt apparently realized what was happening and was able to climb out of the cistern and get to the house to call their father, Harder said.
“He said something was awful bad and to get there as fast as he could,” Harder said.
“Then he went back down to try to save his brother. He tried to carry him up the ladder and he fell back down. That’s how they found them.”
Volunteer firefighters pulled the men out of the cistern and tried to revive them. Franklin County Coroner Dan Blasdel ruled the deaths were accidental.
Some in the community have expressed anger about how long it took sheriff’s deputies and the coroner to arrive.
Sheriff Richard Lathim said Monday the initial call for help was never sent to the dispatch center but rather was made to the homes of the volunteers in Kahlotus. He said deputies didn’t know anything was going on until more than an hour after the incident happened and after a medical helicopter had been requested.
“It’s a terrible tragedy. You have all these emotions going on and people reacting,” Lathim said.
“I don’t think it would have mattered … if they would have called us first.”
The men worked with their father, William Harder Sr., and their older brother. Kurt managed the wheat farm, while Eric and his wife, Terri, managed the Hereford cattle business.
Kurt was chairman of the Franklin County Farm Service Agency, president of the county Wheat Growers Association and a fire district commissioner. He also was a member of the Natural Resource Conservation District, Washington Cattleman’s Association, National Cattleman’s Beef Association and Washington Wheat Growers Association.
Eric was president of the Kahlotus Lions Club, chairman of the Kahlotus School Board and a volunteer firefighter. He also was involved with the Washington Cattleman’s Association, National Cattleman’s Beef Association and Washington Wheat Growers Association.
The brothers died the day before the annual Kahlotus Days festival, which takes place the first Saturday of June.
They were on the Kahlotus Days committee and were going to be the cooks for the Lions Club breakfast on Saturday, their brother said. The Lions Club turned the breakfast into a memorial to the men.
Eric Harder leaves behind his wife, Terri, a daughter, Nicole, 10, and two sons, Eric Max, 11, and Timothy J., 7.
Eric and Kurt are survived by their older brother and parents, William Sr. and Vivian Harder.
A funeral service will take place today at the Kahlotus School gym. The brothers will be buried side by side at the Harder Family Cemetery in Kahlotus.