North Montgomery County Fire Department

Three men from the Houston area died Wednesday in Trinity County after entering a manhole that contained toxic gas, according to the Trinity County Sheriff's Office.

Trinity County Chief Deputy Jeremy Carroll told Houston Public Media on Thursday that Bradley Wrightsman, 46; John Nelson Sr., 52; and Brad Hutton, 47, died after losing consciousness inside a manhole. Carroll said Wrightsman was from the Katy area, Nelson was from the Cleveland area and Hutton was from the Willis area.

Carroll said authorities received a call about the incident around 3:52 p.m. Wednesday. More than two-and-a-half hours passed before the men’s bodies were recovered.

According to a preliminary investigation, the three men were part of a crew working above ground

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