From the Haskell Free Press, August 7, 1997. "A whole city was stunned and saddened this week by the tragic accident striking one of its families. Haskell farmer, Burnell Gilleland, age 70, and his grandson, Heath McMeans, age 23, a Correctional Officer from Lubbock, were both pronounced dead by Haskell County Justice of the Peace, Gina Brown, Sunday night when they failed to respond to resuscitation efforts. Both men had succumbed to toxic gas fumes inside the water well they were repairing. On the scene after responding quickly to the 911 call were Haskell County Sheriff Johnny Mills, Haskell Volunteer Fire Department, Haskell EMS, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Warden, Steve Barbour, and representatives from the Haskell City Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety. First to arrive, City Police Officer Roman Morgan was briefly hospitalized after attempting to rescue the men by climbing into the well. Wearing protective breathing apparatus, volunteer firemen then went into the well to retrieve the bodies. Representatives of the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission were in Haskell Monday testing the well site for the type and source of the deadly gas. County Sheriff Mills told the Free Press that preliminary unofficial findings indicated both methane and propane gas in the well. Later reports from the TNRCC confirmed a possible leak in a propane line in the area. Mary Lou Gilleland survives her husband Burnell. Sheila McMeans and Max McMeans of Haskell are parents of Heath McMeans. A joint funeral service was held Tuesday at the Haskell Church of Christ for the grandfather and grandson who enjoyed working together as best friends. Burnell was born on October 25, 1926 in Stamford, Texas and was the son of Tom Ollie and Lorene Medford Gilleland. He served in the Merchant Marine during World War II and married Mary Lou Webb on June 21, 1947 in Haskell. He had been a lifelong farmer in Haskell County and served on the ASCS County Committee, the Soil Conservation Board and the Gin Board. He was a charter director of the First National Bank in Haskell. He was a member of the Church of Christ where he had served as deacon and was serving as elder."
From the Wichita Falls Times Record News of September 23, 1999 (Front Page) "If 12-month-old Roary Morgan has a hero, it's Haskell policeman Roman Morgan. He's her dad. But it's because some other people think Roman Morgan is a hero that Roary's future turned brighter this week - all because of something that happened before she was born. On August 3, 1997, Roman Morgan made a heroic but futile effort to save the lives of two men - Burnell Gilleland and Heath McMeans, grandfather and grandson. Both men were in a water well - apparently overcome by poisonous gas. McMeans had succumbed to the gas first. Then Gilleland tried to save him. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission on Friday awarded Gilleland a Carnegie Medal "in recognition of an outstanding act of heroism" and $3,000 for his attempt to save his grandson's life. The commission was founded in 1904 by steel magnate Andrew Carnegie after he was inspired by tales of heroic rescues following a mine disaster. The commission has honored more than 8,300 people since then. Gilleland's family is giving the monetary part of his award to Roman Morgan and his wife, Deanne, for a fund for their daughter's college education. Roman Morgan doesn't like to think or talk about the day he was unable to save the lives of Gilleland and McMeans. The memory is painful also for Gilleland's widow, Mary Lou Gilleland, and their two daughters, Susan Blanks and Sheila McMeans, the mother of Heath McMeans. But both mother and daughters were willing to recall the event Friday and to praise Morgan, whom they consider something of an unsung hero. Morgan was nearly overcome himself when he tried to rescue Gilleland and McMeans from the deep well in the Gilleland2 CONC r in his grandfather2 CONC e,2 CONC I can2 CONC he 70 year old grandfather then descended into the well in an effort to save his grandson, only to meet the same fate.