Man Rescued from Trench After Being Trapped for 8 Hours

It took Fairfax Fire and Rescue eight hours to rescue a construction worker from a 15-foot trench Thursday night.

The trench collapsed on top of the man, whose name has yet to be released, around 4 p.m. Thursday, WTOP reports.

NBC Washington reported that he had been working on a water and sewage line at a Falls Church home on the 7400 block of Venice Street.

The man was taken to the hospital with serious conditions. No updates on his condition have been released. But because he was in the cold, wet ground for so long and the pressure put on his body, hospital personnel are making sure he did not suffer from any internal injuries.

The construction worker was buried up to his chest, WTOP reports, and was not rescued until just before 1 a.m. Friday.

“Because of the recent rains, and the amount of dirt that was next to the trench, it was very unstable, and it was extremely hazardous for both the victim and the [rescuers],” Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Captain Robert Konczal told WTOP. “There was constant danger of a secondary collapse.

Crews and ambulances were standing by as Fairfax Fire and Rescue tried to get the man out of the trench. The trench began to collapse again twice during the rescue.

NBC Washington reports the trench will remain open until officials finish investigating the collapse, including whether all proper safety precautions were being followed.