MAPLETON, Utah — A is recovering in the hospital after a trench collapsed on him in Mapleton on Thursday evening.
Rescuers said the 24-year-old man was around 9 feet below the ground, working on a residential sewer line, when the trench collapsed and completely buried him.
Mapleton Fire crews were called to the area and, shortly after their arrival, established verbal contact with the man, despite him being almost completely covered in dirt.
City officials also responded to assist in moving approximately 5 yards of earth, and the worker was rescued after about an hour and 40 minutes and transported to the hospital in critical condition.
"A special thank you goes to the Utah County SRT Team, made up of highly trained rescue specialists from agencies throughout the county, who come together to serve our communities during these high-risk, low-frequency technical rescue incidents," Mapleton Fire posted on social media. "Their skill, technical expertise, and dedication made a tremendous difference and saved a man’s life last night."
