On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the Atchison County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Rock Port Fire Department and the Atchison-Holt Ambulance District, responded to a farming accident at Binder Farms near State Highway U and State Highway E in Atchison County, Missouri. A farm worker was caught in a sweep auger inside a grain bin.

At approximately 3:56 p.m., Atchison County Coroner Shawn Minter responded to the scene and declared that 24-year-old Werner Koekemoer, originally from South Africa, had succumbed to his injuries. Koekemoer was pronounced deceased at the scene.