ST. GEORGE, Utah, Feb. 18, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A man was transported to the hospital in critical condition Monday after he fell into a trench and it collapsed on him.
The trench cave-in occurred at 3430 E. 2170 South in the Little Valley area in the southeast part of St. George.
Construction crews have been working on a major public works project in the area, St. George Fire Department Chief Robert Stoker said.
The workers were taking all appropriate precautions and were using their safety equipment, Stoker said. They had just removed a trench block and put it on the bank of the trench as they prepared to move it to another location.
A man, who is in his mid-20s, fell back into the trench. It still isn’t clear whether the man tripped and fell or the ground gave way under him, Stoker said. One of his co-workers positioned a ladder to help get the man out, but the side of the trench collapsed, trapping the victim.
Other workers at the scene dug the man out and performed life-saving measures until fire department first responders arrived and took over.
Stoker said crews are now working to stabilize the trench, which is holding a lot of ground water. He added that everyone needs to be especially careful when near these trenches, because the area has a lot of ground water under normal conditions, and the recent rain and snow have added to it.
Gephardt Daily will update this story as more information becomes available.
