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California Construction Worker Buried Alive

Jan. 13, 2000

A construction worker died after being trapped under more than three feet of dirt for 18 minutes.

A construction worker was buried alive Tuesday after a trench collapsed and he was trapped under more than three feet of dirt for 18 minutes.

The man was part of a crew installing a water line in the Spring Valley community southeast of San Diego.

According to reports, a backhoe operator saw the walls of the five-foot-deep trench sliding and warned workers to get out.

The man who died tripped and fell as he scrambled to escape, said Ed Hayman, division chief of the San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District.

By the time coworkers, paramedics and firefighters managed to dig him out, the man had stopped breathing. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

"I feel terrible. It could have been me, it could have been any one of us in there," said coworker David Jensen.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor: Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.