CHARLEROI, Pa. — A man who was stuck in a hole caused by a trench collapse thanked the dozens of emergency responders who saved his life.
Vincenzo Lopez said, “I owe you my future; every day it is because of you.”
A heartfelt thank you from Vincenzo Lopez to the dozens of first responders who helped save his life on Aug. 28th.
PHOTOS: Rescuers work to free man from collapsed trench in Charleroi
Lopez added, “My brothers, my sisters, my neighbors, I love you - thank you.”
Lopez, who is a contractor, was working on a sewer line break on McKean Avenue in Charleroi when the trench collapsed, trapping him in waist-deep dirt.
He explained, “Just light pressure, no real pain, luckily it was clay so once I wiggled my legs a little bit i had some room - very minor but just enough.”
Charleroi’s Fire Chief Robert Whiten says - when he first saw Lopez in the hole - he knew he was going to need backup.
Chief Whiten said, “I got over there and looked down in there and I thought, ‘Oh boy, we’re gonna need more than good ole Charleroi.’”
Whiten says without hesitation, emergency responders from 40 different agencies rushed to help - including the PA Urban Search and Rescue’s Strike team, which played a critical role in the rescue.
Senator Camera Bartolotta said, “Without this team located in southwestern PA, we would have to rely on one from Philadelphia. Imagine the hours it would take to get them here. “
Lopez said, “I knew I was in good hands; I had someone by my side every minute, every second someone was with me, talking to me, making sure that I knew they were here for me.”
For the 5 hours he was trapped, Lopez remained calm and positive. He said, “What went through my mind was I’m gonna get out, I’m gonna live.”
Lopez was eventually able to climb out of the hole with only an ankle injury and a chipped tooth.
Lopez is already back at work and says that while he hasn’t gone back to working in ditches yet, he says he’s not afraid.
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