A construction worker was airlifted to a hospital after firefighters freed him from a trench Tuesday afternoon.
The man, approximately 50 years old, was standing near a 10-foot-deep trench when the side caved in, officials said.
He fell into the hole and was buried waist deep by the falling dirt.
Firefighters were called to the scene at 12:45 p.m. They worked for over two hours until the man was flown by helicopter to a local hospital at 3:30 p.m., according to Chief Kevin Clarkson of District 7 Fire Rescue.
The San Antonio Fire Department’s Technical Rescue team assisted in the extrication effort.
Firefighters tied ropes to an aerial ladder and lifted the man, strapped to a stretcher, out of the trench.
The man’s coworkers, who had been excavating at the site, used a crane to help stabilize the trench as the firefighters worked to free him.
He was conscious throughout much of the process, officials said, and in stable condition when the helicopter lifted off.
Physicians on scene hooked the man up to an IV and tracked his vitals while he was stuck.
Assistant Chief Neal Ague said the effort was “very challenging” because first responders could not give him a lot of water ahead of a possible imminent surgery.
Saul Hernandez, a mason working on a separate site across the street, said he sees the trench workers each morning.
“I know these guys work with pretty dangerous equipment,” Hernandez said. “Hopefully he’s okay.”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be notified of the incident. Ague noted that soil is prone to collapse any time workers are digging with heavy equipment.
Officials did not immediately identify the company the man worked for.
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