Trench collapse kills worker
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| Photograph for the Record Gazette by James Vowell TRENCH COLLAPSE — The electrician died under the construction project about 7 feet under Ramsey. |
Tragedy struck Tuesday morning, at approximately 10:35 a.m., when 37-year-old Martin Samaniego of Hesperia, a Pouk and Steinle Construction Company employee was working in a trench in the 4500 block of West Ramsey, in front of the Diamond Auto Mall when the trench collapsed, trapping him.
An emergency call went in and, at 10:44 a.m., emergency response teams arrived. After attempting to revive the buried individual with only a shoulder exposed the man was pronounced dead on the scene.
The continuing collapse of an unstable area caused dirt to fall on rescue workers, requiring attempts to be withdrawn and additional assessments and equipment to be brought in.
The trench remained unstable, requiring extended commitment time of rescue personnel and resources for the shoring and recovery effort. Recovery was completed at 9:25 p.m. The trench is for the City of Banning's $20 million Substation Project and was the last leg of the underground electrical being laid on W. Ramsey Street.
The initial attempts of rescue by Co-workers were not successful as the trench continued to collapse around them. The victim was located approximately six-feet below the north side of Ramsey's street level where according to Hutchinson only the shoulder of the trapped victim was visible.
The emergency response attempted a rescue the victim upon arriving by attaching rescue worker to a rope and crane system and lowing them into the trench. Finding no pulse an attempt to revive the victim applying defliberlation paddles. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene at 11:50 and response teams then went into recovery mode.
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The trench appeared to have collapsed northward, under the street. The plywood sidings were propped from side to side with steel pipes in the trench. It appeared that the support might have broken through the dirt wall of the trench under the street where the roadway was undermined. Riverside County Fire Department's Fire Captain Julie Hutchinson, confirmed this possibility and pointed out that the investigation is still underway to determine the exact cause of the collapse. Hutchinson said, “It is very fortunate that we did not have more trapped workers as a result of their attempts ... the area continued to collapse around rescue workers.” There were 3 additional collapses during the recovery efforts, this last was after the recovery when an approximately 20' section of curb and a portion of the street caved in.
The victim was recovered at 9:25 p.m. a total of 59 Cal Fire, Cal Fire's Hazardous Materials personnel, Banning Police department personnel, O.S.H.A. the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration A Chaplin and the American Medical Reponse ambulance team and Public Utilities director Jim Earhart and Duane Burk from the City of Banning, were all on scene.
A special Fire truck was brought in from Moreno Valley and a prisoner hand crew from Oak Glen.
The Riverside Coroner's office lists the cause of death as traumatic asphyxia due to an industrial accident.
Source: Recordgazette.net
