Worker Airlifted To John Muir After Injury At East Bay Regional Park

A worker who was struck by a loose rock some 200 feet inside one of the mines at theBlack Diamond Mines Regional Preserve near Antioch was airlifted to the hospital with chest injuries, according to a Contra Costa County Fire Protection District spokesman.

Fire crews responded at 11:14 a.m. to a report of a person inside the mine who was possibly injured, Fire Inspector Steve Aubert said. The worker was standing on scaffolding inside the mine when a large rock came loose and struck him in the chest, according to Aubert.

Aubert said the man’s coworkers were able to bring him up to the top of the mine before medical personnel arrived. The man complained of chest pain and shortness of breath, Aubert said. “We’re also concerned about internal injuries,” he said, adding that the man was alert when he was taken from the mine.

The worker was airlifted to John Muir Medical Center with serious injuries, Aubert said.

Aubert said it’s unclear whether the man was wearing a hard hat or other protective gear.

“It sounds like they were taking the proper precautions with the scaffolding,” Aubert said. “It’s hard to place what the workplace mishap was without being down there.”

--Bay City News