It was all hands on deck Tuesday to rescue a man trapped in a trench collapse in Oxford Township, the second this year.
Oxford firefighters and Oakland County Sheriff's Office deputies initially responded to a work site in the 20th block of Brabb Road at about 3:46 p.m. on Sept. 1, when it was reported a trench had collapsed, and a worker was trapped. Soon, the OCSO Search and Rescue team and multiple technical rescue teams joined.
The victim, a 50-year-old Swartz Creek resident and employee of an excavation company, was working in the trench when it collapsed, burying him from the waist down and leaving him unable to free himself, according to an Oakland County Sheriff's Office statement. The victim was alert and responsive throughout the rescue
operation.
“This successful rescue is a testament to the integrated training and coordination of multiple teams that provide this area with unique rescue capabilities,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “I am proud of the teamwork and the partnerships.”
Due to the technical nature of the rescue and the hazards associated with the collapsed trench, multiple technical teams were needed, as well as specialized equipment and personnel to support the rescue effort.
Responding personnel worked to stabilize the scene and trench before safely conducting the extrication. After several hours of coordinated rescue efforts, personnel successfully extricated the victim from the trench.
The victim was in stable condition upon being freed and was airlifted by medical helicopter to a local hospital as a precaution for further evaluation. He was subsequently released.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) was notified of the incident.
This is the third trench collapse in the county and the second involving an Oxford Township work site this summer.
On June 30, a 35-year-old Ida Township man was installing a septic system at a residence in Oxford Township when a trench collapsed and completely buried him. Workers on site and a responding Oakland County Sheriff's deputy were able to clear the man's head and neck area before the arrival of firefighters, who completed the rescue, with the man expected to make a full recovery.
The following day, a 25-year-old Clarkston man was digging a sanitary sewer in a new Orion Township subdivision when the trench collapsed on him. Emergency responders and the man's co-workers were able to free him, and he was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries to both lower extremities.
That same day, a 23-year-old man was killed when a trench collapsed on him at a construction site in Handy Township in Livingston County.
All four trench collapses happened on days when temperatures were well over 90 degrees.
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is investigating all four incidents.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man rescued in 2nd Oxford trench collapse, third this summer in Oakland
