KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Emergency crews rescued a trapped worker after a trench collapsed Friday afternoon in Leawood.
The collapse happened about 2:50 p.m. in the 10300 block of Meadow Lane, according to a news release from the city of Leawood.
Crews found the man buried in dirt up to his waist in a 10-foot-deep trench.
“These types of rescues are very tricky as we have to be very careful not to vibrate the ground in any way and trigger more dirt to collapse,” Leawood Fire Chief Colin Fitzgerald stated in the news release. “Luckily, the worker is conscious and his breathing is not impaired, allowing us to concentrate on shoring up the walls. Obviously, the high moisture content in the ground makes things harder.”
A county-wide trench rescue task force was activated to bring in specially trained crews from the Olathe Fire Department, Consolidated Fire District 2 and Johnson County MedAct.
The Leawood Public Works Department also helped by providing a vacuum truck and employees to help in the rescue.
The man was conscious when he was removed from the trench and was taken to an area hospital.
No word on what caused the trench to collapse.
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