6:46 PM: A man working at a construction site at a home in San Francisco’s Seacliff neighborhood was rescued today after the earth gave way under a backyard deck, trapping the man under dirt and concrete for about four hours.
The man, who is in his early 30s, was working on a renovation project at a home at 38 W. Clay St.
At about 12:50 p.m., a concrete pillar for the backyard patio collapsed, causing him to fall into a trench that filled with a sand-like material.
Another worker at the site, who said his name was Arnold, was the first person to reach the man, who at one point was buried up to his neck in the sediment and had his legs pinned down by the concrete pillar.
Arnold said it was the man’s first day at the job site. He described having to frantically dig away dirt that was getting into the man’s mouth and nose.
“It was scary,” he said.
Emergency crews responded and worked for hours to dig out the man, SFFD spokesperson Lt. Mindy Talmadge said.
“The soil in the back is very unstable, so every time they made progress, he continued to get re-trapped and re-trapped,” Talmadge said.
The man was given fluids intravenously while he was stuck. Authorities were concerned that, once removed, he might suffer from crush syndrome, which causes a buildup of acid in the body that can trigger a heart attack, Talmadge said.
The man was finally pulled out of the trench at about 4:50 p.m. and taken to a waiting ambulance.
The extent of his injuries was not immediately known, but it appears he will survive based on his vital signs when he was taken away, according to Talmadge.
“The advantage of a slow extrication was that we were able to monitor his vital signs,” she said. “The paramedics were very happy with his condition.”
William Strawn, a spokesman for San Francisco’s Department of Building Inspection, said inspectors with the department are investigating what caused the pillar to collapse, but the investigation was in its preliminary stages this evening due to the long rescue operation.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health will also investigate the incident, Strawn said.
A representative for Associated Trucking, the lead contractor working on the renovation project, declined to comment on the incident.
5:13 PM: A worker was rescued after being trapped for four hours under dirt and concrete at a construction site in San Francisco’s Seacliff neighborhood today.
The 32-year-old man was working on a deck behind a home at 38 W. Clay St. at about 12:50 p.m. when a concrete post collapsed, causing him to fall into a trench that filled with a sand-like material.
Emergency crews worked for hours to dig out the man, who at one point was buried up to his neck in the sediment and had his legs pinned down by the concrete post, fire Lt. Mindy Talmadge said.
The man was given fluids intravenously while he was trapped. Authorities were concerned that, once removed, he might suffer from crushing syndrome, which causes a buildup of acid in the body that can trigger a heart attack, Talmadge said.
The man was finally pulled out of the trench at about 4:50 p.m.
3:40 PM: A worker was trapped in an accident at a construction site in San Francisco’s Seacliff neighborhood this afternoon.
Rescuers were called to 38 W. Clay St. at about 12:50 p.m.
San Francisco Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Mindy Talmadge said the man was doing work on a patio in the back of the home when a concrete post toppled, sending him falling into a trench.
The worker was left trapped under a pile of sand-like material. Since then, rescuers have been working to dig him out.
Shortly before 3:30 p.m. the worker was still trapped, but Talmadge said he would likely be pulled out by about 3:45 p.m.
The concern was that he would suffer from “crushing syndrome,” which she said could cause a heart attack as he is freed and the pressure on his body drops.
Medical personnel have attached an IV to him in the meantime, she said.
2:16 PM: A worker was trapped in an accident at a construction site in San Francisco’s Seacliff neighborhood this afternoon.
Fire officials said emergency crews responded to 38 W. Clay St. on a report of a worker who was trapped.
No information was immediately available on the worker’s condition.
A neighbor said there has been construction at that address recently. She said she had heard that the worker was trapped under a pile of dirt.
