Man Freed From Trench At National City Construction Site

NATIONAL CITY, CA — First responders early Friday freed a man from a trench at a construction site after he fell in on Thursday night, a National City Fire Department official said.

The unidentified construction worker in his early 30s fell into the trench, located in the area of East 30th Street and A Avenue, at 9:15 p.m. Thursday, according to NCFD.

"The ground kind of caved in," said Scott Robinson, an NCFD battalion chief. "Sand and dirt were around his waist, and he couldn't get out."

"It took about six hours for us to free him," said Robinson, who added that Chula Vista and San Diego fire crews also assisted his department.

"All the crews did an excellent job working together, and we effected a rescue as safely as we could," he said.

To shore up the dirt wall during the rescue effort, Robinson said the NCFD used specialized equipment provided from two companies from Chula Vista and San Diego.

The construction worker was taken to a nearby University of California San Diego hospital, Robinson said. Details on the man's injuries or his condition were unavailable.

According to an NBC7 report on Thursday night, an NCFD official said the rescued man was at the site working on a planned city sewer project.

Robert Hernandez, NCFD battalion chief and fire marshal, said "he would order a 24-hour pause on work at the site after the rescue so the city and the company could investigate and reassure the safety of the site," NBC7 reported.

— City News Service