Ohio Family Mourns death of their son Zachary Knight Killed in Fall

An Ohio family was devastated Saturday after learning about the death of their son at a DeKalb County landfill. Twenty-year-old Zachary Knight was killed when he accidentally fell into a 55 foot well dug to vent methane gas from the landfill.

Knight was 6'10" and his family called him Zach. Knight hoped to one day become a firefighter.

"He was becoming a probationary firefighter. He loved the fire service and he loved to travel and that's why this job kind of worked for him a little bit," said Knight's father, Tom.

Tom and Becki Knight said their son was about to become a firefighter in Christiansburg, Ohio, near Dayton. Knight's life was cut short when he fell into a 55 foot well at a DeKalb landfill, dug to vent methane gas. The company he was working for was based out of Ohio.

"He had traveled to Texas and a couple of other places working with the company and he seemed to really enjoy the job," said Tom Knight.

Knight's parents said Knight had been on the road about three months digging wells at landfills. Knight had just turned 20.

"Last Sunday was his birthday. He turned 20. The Pittsburgh Steelers were his favorite team and they won the Superbowl so it made his birthday perfect," said Becki Knight.

The Knights said they understand life and death dramas like the one that took their son's life. Tom Knight is a firefighter and Becki Knight an EMT. The Knights said on their 10 hour drive from Ohio they hoped their worst fears weren't true.

"This was a freak accident unfortunately," said Becki Knight.

"I might have been worried about an explosion to really to be honest with you I never dreamed anything like that happening. I hope if anything comes out of this a little tighter safety controls for somebody else," said Tom Knight.

"If I didn't call him he'd call me, it seemed the last couple of days he made a whole lot of phone calls to people he didn't usually call it was like God was telling him," said Becki Knight.

DeKalb fire and rescue said OSHA is still investigating but by all accounts it appears Knights death was accidental.

Knight's mother and father said he was next to the youngest with three sisters. Many of Knight's friends are waiting in Ohio for the funeral.