Emergency crews rescue man trapped in trench

Crews worked to rescue a man trapped in a trench collapse Tuesday near 44th and Metropolitan Avenue. (Photo from Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department)
Crews worked to rescue a man trapped in a trench collapse Tuesday near 44th and Metropolitan Avenue. (Photo from Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department)

Kansas City, Kan., emergency crews rescued a man trapped in a trench collapse on Tuesday.

A 46-year-old man was working in a 12-foot trench at 1649 S. 44th St. around 5 p.m. when the wall of the trench collapsed and he was partly buried, up to mid-chest, according to a spokesman for the Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department.

The man and two others had been working on remodeling a home at the address, the spokesman said.

Crews used shoring equipment to make sure the trench did not collapse any more, the spokesman said.

The victim was conscious and talking to rescuers during the incident. Fire and emergency medical services crews administered medical care, an IV and oxygen, while rescue crews hand dug around the individual until he was freed from the collapsed area, the spokesman said.

The man was transported by an emergency vehicle to a hospital in Kansas City, Kan., and the extent of his injuries is unknown, the spokesman said.

One firefighter suffered a shoulder strain during the rescue, according to the spokesman.