Man Partially Buried In Trench Collapse Rescued In Somerset County

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A man buried from the waist down in a trench in Bridgewater was rescued by emergency responders after four hours of digging and then airlifted to a hospital.

On Thursday, May 8, the Bridgewater Township Police Department was dispatched to 12 Cushing Drive in response to a report of a person trapped in a trench.

Officers found a 33-year-old man, Jose Ascecion of New Brunswick, partially buried in a trench about 3 feet wide and 8 feet deep, said Bridgewater Township Police Chief John Mitzak.

Ascecion was trapped from the waist down but remained alert and conscious throughout the incident, said Mitzak.

"Responders quickly stabilized the scene by installing trench shoring to prevent further collapse. Due to the confined space and risk of additional entrapment, rescuers employed hand tools to carefully dig around the victim-a time-consuming and delicate process," said Mitzak.

It took emergency personnel about four hours to safely extricate the victim.

New Jersey State Police NorthStar medical personnel were on-site throughout the operation to monitor Ascecion's condition and ensure he remained stable.

Once freed, Ascecion was immediately taken by the Somerville Rescue Squad to the designated landing zone at Crim Park. He was then airlifted by NorthStar to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for further evaluation and treatment.

The successful rescue was a coordinated effort involving numerous emergency service agencies and support personnel, including:

• Martinsville Fire Department Finderne Fire Department
• East Franklin Fire Department Community Fire Department
• Somerset Fire Company
• Somerville Rescue Squad & Technical Rescue Unit
• Martinsville Rescue Squad
• RWJ Barnabas Health Advanced Life Support
• NJ State Police NorthStar
• Somerset County Office of Emergency Management - Technical Rescue and Fire Coordinators
• Bridgewater Township Office of Emergency Management
• Bridgewater Township Public Works
• Bridgewater Township Code Enforcement
• Bridgewater Township Fire Marshal
• Somerset County Public Works
• PSE&G
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

"The Bridgewater Township Police Department commends all responding agencies for their swift and coordinated actions, which led to a successful and safe rescue under challenging conditions," said Mitzak.

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