Veterinarian dies after falling into grain feed mixer at Ohio farm

MECHANICSBURG, Ohio -- Officials say a man died on his family farm in central Ohio when he fell into a grain feed mixer.

Madison County Sheriff Jim Sabin tells The Columbus Dispatch that 34-year-old Austin Ayars was found dead Sunday at the dairy farm near Mechanicsburg. Family members told investigators he had been feeding cattle several hours earlier.

Sabin says Ayars was adding hay to the mixer when he lost his balance and fell in. The machine is powered by a tractor and is supposed to be turned off when being fed hay or grain.

Sabin calls the accident an eye-opener for those who might become complacent when operating heavy equipment.

Ayars had recently returned to Ohio after working as a veterinarian in Arizona. The Dispatch reports that Ayars graduated from Ohio State University's College of Veterinary Medicine in 2007.

"Word traveled fast among his classmates who notified the college," Melissa Weber, spokeswoman for the college, told the newspaper. "It's devastating."