A trapped construction worker was freed thanks to Prince George’s County rescuers, but alive due to the quick action of his co-workers.
The man was digging a trench late Sunday morning with three others outside an apartment building on Walker Mill Road in District Heights, Md. when he suddenly became buried in dirt.
“He was in there with a shovel and his fellow co-workers were [using] a small backhoe; we're assuming the vibrations caused a soft pile to cascade down on him,” said Capt. Dan Hughes of Prince George’s County EMS.
The man was covered from head to dirt.
Other workers on the scene sprang into action and were able to dig the dirt away from his mouth, nose and chest, freeing him up to his waist.
Rescue crews arrived and carefully crafted a plan to pull him up without causing more dirt to cave in around him. Despite the latest technology, the most effective tools proved to be rescuers own bare hands.
About two hours later, the man was finally lifted onto a stretcher. He was airlifted to Baltimore Shock Trauma Center in stable condition.
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The worker’s name has not been released.
