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A man trapped in a trench in Irving is lucky to be alive, according to the crew who rescued him Thursday.
Jorge Vasquez, 34, was working on a sewer line when the sides of the trench collapsed, trapping him 10 feet below ground.
“I've been around or involved in four of these types of incidents. This is the only one that has come out good,” said Capt. Paul Harris of the Irving Fire Department.
Irving Fire responded with a few crew members who are specially trained for tactical rescue missions, such as a trench rescue. Because of how unsteady the soil and trench appeared to be, Harris said they called in Coppell Fire Department to help.
“I had no doubt that with the manpower that I had there and the skills that these people have, both Coppell and Irving, we were going to get him out,” explained Harris.
For three hours, their crews sent two to three men down at a time to slowly dig out around Vasquez. They worked in 10-15 minute intervals to give each team a break from the heat and effort.
“They were digging out with any tool that we had on our rescue truck,” explained Harris. “All the way from sharp shooter shovels down to a gardening spade. They were pretty tired.”
Eventually, they were able to get Vasquez out. They transported him from the trench onto a plank that was carried into an ambulance.
“This is a miracle. Only God could save him,” said Vasquez’s sister-in-law, Maria Rangel.
While the rescue training does not always come into play on the job, Harris believes it’s the only reason they were able to get Vasquez out alive.
“I’m proud of our crew,” said Harris. “It was a long day, but it was a good day”
Vasquez suffered some bruising and minor fractures. He remained at Parkland Memorial Hospital in stable condition Friday night.
