A wrongful death lawsuit against YouTuber Andrew Flair, related to the death of a 66-year-old man at his missile silo near York, Nebraska, has been settled. On February 7, York County District Judge James Stecker dismissed the case following a motion by the attorney for the victim’s widow, Mary Arkfeld. Attorney Sam Colwell confirmed the settlement, stating only that the parties had “amicably resolved their disputes.”
Court records indicate that Andrew Flair Outdoors LLC, Hooya Enterprises LLC, and Michael Flair agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle the lawsuit, with the settlement amount sealed. Flair’s attorney previously issued a statement expressing condolences over the tragic passing of Joseph Arkfeld but declined to comment further due to legal proceedings.
Flair, a social media influencer with over 2.8 million YouTube subscribers, purchased a decommissioned nuclear missile silo with the goal of transforming it into a survival bunker. His YouTube videos documenting the renovation often made light of safety measures, with Flair joking at one point, “Listen, no one has died yet.”
On December 20, 2022, Joseph Arkfeld, a retired electrician assisting with the renovations, was found dead after being crushed by the entry door to the Atlas-F missile silo. His family became concerned when they hadn’t heard from him, leading his son-in-law to discover his body.
The lawsuit alleged that Flair failed to implement proper safety precautions and that a defect in the heavy mechanical entry door led to Arkfeld’s death. The only access point to the underground silo was a steel door designed to close with over 2,000 pounds of force. The lawsuit described the mechanism Flair had in place as an unnecessarily complex and hazardous system involving metal rods, jumper cables, a car battery, a winch, pulleys, hooks, and a rusted stairway railing.
While the details of the settlement remain confidential, the resolution brings an end to the legal dispute surrounding the fatal accident.
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