PITTSBURGH — A construction worker was rescued after a trench collapsed in Pittsburgh Thursday.
It happened shortly before 9 a.m. at 46th Street and Bancroft Street in Lawrenceville.
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Crews were able to free the man after about 45 minutes. He was rushed to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital.
"Our initial effort was to secure the trench to make sure no other dirt goes down on the victim or emergency workers," said Deputy Chief Robert Farrow.
The man was part of a crew excavating for sewer lines at a site where new homes will soon be built. He was buried in dirt up to his waist in the 18-foot-deep trench.
"We had to dig his legs free from the waist down. He was conscious and alert for the whole rescue effort," said Farrow.
Neighbors clapped as rescuers pulled the man out of the trench.
Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration arrived at the scene to determine how the collapse happened.
WPXI
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