Wyandotte Trench Collapse: Fire chief 'not aware' of shoring before workers became trapped
Wyandotte police chief talks trench collapse rescue
Jeremy Moline with the Wyandotte Fire Department praised the efforts of first responders after two plumbers were buried in a collapsed trench early Tuesday night.
(FOX 2) - Two men were rescued after a trench they had dug to do sewer work in the backyard of a Wyandotte home collapsed. While one worker was able to escape shortly after the collapse, it took hours to rescue the other worker.
Rescue crews from around Wayne County assisted in the search and rescue before extricating one of the workers.
What we know:
Maintenance on a sewer in Wyandotte on Tuesday turned into a massive rescue operation after a trench collapsed on the three-man crew, burying two of the workers.
The first 911 call came in around 6:45 p.m. It took four hours to complete the rescue.
The Wyandotte Fire Department chief said one worker managed to escape quickly while it took hours to rescue the other one. The victims, a 44-year-old man from Southgate and a 27-year-old man from Lincoln Park, are expected to be okay.
Rescuers share story of Wyandotte trench collapse
Trapped after a trench collapse — a Downriver man is now recovering after being rescued from around 15 feet underground, surrounded by loose soil.
Both are employees of a local plumbing company - though it's unclear if they were subcontractors of another firm.
The hole that collapsed was approximately 20 feet deep. It happened in the 2300 block of 17th Street.
The rescue was made harder by the snowmelt and mud making the soil heavier.
Crews from around Wayne County work to rescue workers that are trapped in a trench. (Photo via City of Farmington Hills )
What we don't know:
Trench collapses can happen for a variety of reasons. However, this incident remains under investigation. City officials said the workers were buried under "unstable soil."
In addition to investigations by the Western Wayne Urban Search and Rescue team and the Wyandotte Fire Department, Michigan's OSHA agency will also be carrying out a probe of the incident - including whether necessary precautions were made due to the depth of the hole that was dug.
Wyandotte Fire Chief Jeremy Moline said he was "not aware" that any shoring had been built along the side of the hole to prevent the sides from collapsing.
Two men rescued from collapsed hole in Wyandotte
FOX 2 was told that a worker had been underneath the ground in a hole that collapsed at 6:45 p.m. A worker who was there said a three-man crew was working on a residential sewer line that they were fixing. They had to dig down to work on the line and were just wrapping up when the incident happened. Two workers were in the hole. One of the men got out shortly after. Meanwhile, one man was trapped under dirt and clay.
Local perspective:
The workers were rescued thanks to the efforts of dozens of first responders working with the Western Wayne Urban Search and Rescue Team and the Washtenaw Urban Search and Rescue Team.
Both crews specialize in trench rescues and structural collapses.
"I think the Wyandotte Fire Department, their staff, our dispatch, Lincoln Park fire, and all of the other entities that helped us were instrumental and their training showed on scene," said Moline.
Teams also came from Dearborn, Farmington Hills, Livonia, and even Washtenaw County.
The Source: Information from first responders, officials from Wyandotte, Livonia, and Farmington Hills was used for this story.