Man Falls 20 Feet From Roof North of Henning, Airlifted to Fargo

A Henning man fell roughly 20 feet through a snow-covered skylight while working on the roof of a building north of Henning, suffering injuries that prompted life-saving efforts from Henning Ambulance, Otter Tail County deputies, Wadena Ambulance and people at the scene. Deputies say the fall happened on Feb. 17, 2026 at about 2:40 p.m.

Deputies identified the victim Monday as David Brutlag, 63, of Henning. The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office said Brutlag was eventually taken to Tri-County Health Care in Wadena, where he died; the office described the incident as an "unfortunate accident." An obituary line included in public records notes Brutlag graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead.

According to deputies, Brutlag fell through a skylight that was covered in snow and reportedly could not be seen from the roof surface. Deputies estimated the fall at approximately 20 feet; the sheriff’s office timeline places the collapse at around 2:40 p.m. and lists the response by local ambulance crews and deputies as immediate.

Accounts of the patient’s transport vary. A sheriff’s blotter entry for the week of Feb. 10-16 listed the call as "Person falls off 20-foot roof in Otter Tail County, life flighted to Fargo." That bulletin wording conflicts with the sheriff’s office statement that Brutlag was taken to Tri-County Health Care in Wadena and later died there. Local EMS run reports and air-ambulance logs will be needed to reconcile whether an airlift to Fargo occurred or whether ground transport to Wadena was the primary transfer.

The incident underscores a specific winter hazard for homeowners and contractors in Otter Tail County: snow-covered skylights can be nearly invisible and pose a fall risk on flat and low-pitched roofs. Deputies said the roof surface was obscured by snow when Brutlag fell; Henning and Wadena ambulance crews performed resuscitation and other life-saving measures before transport.

Investigative and public records that typically follow a serious workplace or on-site accident - incident reports from the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office and EMS run sheets from Henning Ambulance and Wadena Ambulance, plus any hospital admission logs or air-ambulance dispatch records - should clarify the sequence of care and transport. For now, local authorities have characterized the event as an "unfortunate accident" and have publicly identified the victim as David Brutlag, 63, of Henning.