Los Angeles firefighters were working on Thursday afternoon to rescue a construction worker who had been trapped in an 8-foot-deep trench in Los Feliz for more than three hours.
The construction worker was working on renovations in the backyard of a hillside home Thursday morning when the dirt gave way around him, burying him up to his chest, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Erik Scott.
Firefighters responded to the home in the 2300 block of North Catalina Street, about a mile south of Griffith Observatory, shortly before 11 a.m. and found the worker trapped in the dirt and concrete trench.
More than 80 firefighters were on scene carefully removing dirt using a vacuum and pneumatic knives, Scott said. Firefighters were also using hydraulic rams to ensure the 3-foot-wide and 8-foot-deep trench did not cave in further.
As of 1:55 p.m., firefighters had removed dirt down to the trapped man’s thigh but needed to remove more before hoisting him out of the trench using a pulley system, Scott said.
The man was “alert and conscious” but his injuries included, at the least, an injured ankle, Scott said. Paramedics had managed to hook an IV to his free arm to administer appropriate medication, he said.
“We’re worried about crush injuries to the victim and also [the] extreme heat we’re having for a prolonged time period,” Scott said. “We have a complete medical team here including two nurse practitioners and multiple paramedics.”
The Fire Department had to pull one firefighter out of the operation due to heat exhaustion and was rotating rescuers in and out to help them recuperate from the heat.
Southern California is experiencing a blistering heat wave that is expected to last through the weekend, bringing triple-digit temperatures to some areas, including Los Feliz.
Scott said he could not predict how much longer the rescue operation would take.
“This is a very slow and strategic and surgical-like process,” he said. “This is not a normal operation where more firefighters is better. We want to reduce vibration and personnel close to the trench because that will compact pressure and create more dirt to cave in.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
