Worker rescued from trench at La Jolla construction site

Publish Date: 2023/06/28

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — A 62-year-old man was rescued Wednesday morning after being trapped for over five hours in a trench at a construction site in San Diego’s La Jolla neighborhood, reports ABC10 News.

According to the San Diego Fire Department, the man was working on the construction of a single-family residence in the 8400 block of El Paseo Grande when he became buried waist-deep, about 8 to 10 feet down in a trench. Fire crews responded to the scene near La Jolla Shores Park at about 8:00 a.m.

Firefighters worked for about 5.5 hours, developing and carrying out a technical rescue extrication plan to safely remove the worker while trying to prevent the structure from further collapse. The complex process involved removing the wood framing of the home and maneuvering around a concrete footing that weighs thousands of pounds.

The victim, who suffered a fracture to his arm, was administered IVs and pain medication during the hours-long rescue. After being removed, he was transported to a local trauma center to be assessed for possible internal or crush injuries.

It remains unclear at this time how the worker became trapped.

Authorities said nearly 50 first responders, including three crews from the SDFD’s technical rescue team, assisted at the scene. The incident also prompted a response from OSHA.

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Ross Jurewitz

Ross Jurewitz is the founder and managing lawyer of the Jurewitz Law Group, a San Diego personal injury attorney law firm. These San Diego injury accident lawyers specialize in helping people seriously injured in a variety of accidents throughout San Diego County and California.

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