An Allentown man was freed after a trench collapsed and trapped him inside for 8 hours.
A crew of firefighters removed the man from the trench shortly before 10:30 p.m., after the collapse occurred just before 2 p.m.
Despite being buried neck-deep in dirt, the trapped worker was alert and talking to rescuers the entire time.
After the whole ordeal, he got some exciting news about his family. Just before being lifted out of the trench, his wife informed him that she was pregnant with their first baby.
EMS took care of him while he was trapped, but authorities have not commented on his injuries or condition since being rescued.
Allentown said he was taken to the hospital accompanied by his family after being rescued on a stretcher.
Captain John Christopher said that freeing the man wasn’t easy, but they’re trained. He shared in a statement, “every time you move the dirt, you have to shore up some more, or else it collapses back in.” Christopher continued, “that’s why it’s such a tedious process.”
The dirt was removed using vacuums and buckets, as heavy machinery would have been too dangerous.
The man was kept warm throughout the process by heaters that were running all day and night.
It is believed that the collapse occurred because the ground around the trench was unstable.
In the trench, the man and another contractor were working on a water line when it collapsed. According to officials, the other man climbed out safely on a ladder right away.