Fire crews rescued a construction worker Monday evening who became trapped when the foundation of a Salt Lake City house collapsed.
The structural collapse was reported just before 5 p.m. in the Avenues neighborhood, on the 1200 block of East 4th Avenue, according to the Salt Lake City Fire Department.
Construction crews had been digging in an excavated area next to the house’s foundation when a portion of the foundation broke off, sending hundreds of pounds of concrete and the soil beneath it toward the man.
The man, who was about 30 years old, was buried above his waist in debris and soil, according to Capt. Anthony Burton, a spokesperson for the department. He was taken to a trauma center and is in serious condition.
Just after the collapse, other construction workers immediately called 911 and made a “valiant effort” to help the man, Burton said. The fire department’s heavy rescue team arrived at the scene and freed him using shovels and other hand tools after about 30 minutes.
Burton thanked the man’s fellow construction workers for their quick action and said he “can’t stress enough how important it is to call 911 early.”
“In the past, we’ve seen construction-type incidents where they commit so much to try and rescue the individual that they may get hurt as well,” Burton said. “Luckily, that was not the case here.”
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