Crime & Safety
Worker Dies In Trench In Baltimore: Fire Officials
The body of a worker was recovered after he fell in a hole Tuesday evening, Baltimore City fire officials say.
BALTIMORE, MD — Officials said a construction worker died after he was trapped in a 15-foot trench under a massive pile of dirt and debris Tuesday in northeast Baltimore. Crews from around the state responded to try to get the man out; his body was recovered early Wednesday morning, officials said.
“From what we were told by the other construction workers, the 19-year-old was inside of the hole working on a sewage line when dirt and debris fell on top of him,” Baltimore Fire Chief Niles R. Ford said in a statement.
Kyle Hancock, 19, of Glen Burnie, was identified as the man who had become trapped. He was working for R.F. Warder Inc. at the time, according to Baltimore fire personnel.
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The Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the case.
When emergency personnel arrived around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Hancock's colleagues had been trying to dig him out of the trench in the 2000 block of Sinclair Lane.
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Special operations crews spent about 12 hours dedicated to the effort, Baltimore City Fire Department officials reported. Before going into the hole to recover the man's body, emergency officials ensured there was a protective barrier in place securing the area.
Downpours on Tuesday night complicated the operation, according to The Baltimore Sun, which reported the workers were contracted to clear a blocked sewer line, so water was also accumulating inside the trench, which had not been shored up.
Agencies from around the state, including Montgomery County's cadaver dogs, were among those assisting in the rescue and recovery effort.
Hancock's body was recovered at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, fire officials said.
Our members are 4hrs into the rescue effort of the construction worker who is buried more than 15 feet below ground. This is now a joint effort between multiple agencies from around the state. pic.twitter.com/jzl7bsCeCt
— Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734 (@BCFDL734) June 6, 2018
Photos courtesy of Baltimore City Fire Department.
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