NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (KGTV) – Emergency crews rescued a man who fell into an open trench at a National City construction site and remained stuck waist-deep for several hours.
Just after 9:15 p.m. Thursday, first responders were called to an area of East 30th Street and A Avenue after a construction worker somehow fell into a trench about 6-10 feet deep, according to National City Fire Department officials.
NCFD officials said firefighters arrived as several other construction workers were at the trench trying to free their co-worker, who was stuck from the knees down.
Rescue crews initially brought in large vacuum trucks to suck sand and dirt from the hole. They then placed a harness around the worker’s legs and torso and hoisted him from the trench.
By 3 a.m., the unidentified worker was lifted from the hole and taken to UC San Diego Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. He is expected to be OK.
ABC 10News learned the construction was part of a planned sewer system project for the city of National City.
City officials and the construction company are investigating what led to the worker falling into the trench.
Due to the incident, the construction work was paused.
“I have requested that the site be saved off to make sure that the hole is completely safe; that we put a 24-hour watch on this, and all construction will stop and the city and construction company will have an opportunity to discuss with one another what might have gone wrong,” said NCFD Battalion Chief and Fire Marshal Robert Hernandez.
