Egan man leaves young son behind after fatal workplace accident

An Egan man has died following a workplace accident earlier this month near Trent, leaving behind his 5-year-old son.
Austin John Otto, 26, was critically injured when a pipe exploded at a construction site west of Trent on Sept. 4. He was airlifted to Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, where he died Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
From what we have been told, they were attempting to release pressure in a line and when attempting it the pipe exploded. Thats the extent of what we know, Sheriff Troy Wellman told the Moody County Enterprise shortly after the incident.
Wellman said he cannot recall a workplace accident of this scale in nearly 30 years of local law enforcement. Three others were injured in the incident and transported by ambulance to area hospitals. The cause remains under investigation.
Officials with Big Sioux Community Water Systems and Minnehaha Community Water Corp., partners in the new Shared Resources water treatment plant where the explosion occurred, have declined comment until the review is complete.
Family and friends gathered this past weekend to honor Ottos life.
Otto was born on July 13, 1999, in Sioux Falls to Nicole (Otto) Schmidt. She raised him alongside Richard Schmidt in Egan, where he grew up as the second oldest of three siblings. He attended Colman-Egan High School, where he played football, and later worked a variety of jobs, including Otto Scrapping, pouring concrete for Outkast Construction and laying water pipes for Winter Brothers Construction.
Ottos son, Wesley, was born on Dec. 26, 2019. His family said his son was his whole world.
A Go Fund Me account has been established in Ottos name and several area businesses are collecting funds to help the family with the unexpected expenses and the future needs of his son. For more information, go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/austin-otto.