OMAHA, Neb. --
Emergency crews spent Friday afternoon working to rescue a man trapped in an earthen trench near 192nd and Briggs streets.
The call came in just before 1 p.m. Friday. According to the victim's brother, the worker was laying copper pipe for water when the trench collapsed. The man's brother identified him as Jeff Schneider.
Crews were able to free him just before 5 p.m. He was taken to Nebraska Medical Center to be treated.
The extent of Schneider's injuries was not immediately clear.
Rescue crews worked to stabilize the trench and get oxygen to Schneider, who was trapped to his waist in mud for about four hours. Assistant Fire Marshal James Gentile said Schneider was conscious and alert throughout the ordeal.
Authorities said their main concern was with the man's circulation and breathing.
Firefighters were told to shut down the engines in their trucks to avoid any vibrations in the ground.
No further details have been released.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a single cubic yard of dirt can weight more than 3,000 pounds. That's enough to crush or suffocate a person.
350 workers in the U.S. died in trenching or excavation cave-ins from 2000-2009.
About 64 percent of those deaths occurred at depths of less than 10 feet.
OSHA requires all excavations of 5 feet deep or greater to use a protective system -- either by sloping the trench or shoring it up.
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