A man is in stable condition after he was trapped for more than three hours Thursday in a partially collapsed construction trench in Irving.[[378314751,L]]
The 34-year-old man was working with a crew that was repairing a sewer line on the 2100 block of Ridgewood Street when he stepped outside the fortified "safe zone" within the trench, and the soil collapsed around him, according to Irving Fire Department officials.
The man, identified as Jorge Vasquez of Garland, is a married father of three who immigrated from Mexico 16 years ago, family members said.
He was initially buried above his head, but other workers were able to quickly uncover the top half of his body so he could breathe. A piece of metal beneath the surface then prevented the man from freeing himself, so emergency crews were called.
He remained buried waist-deep at the base of the trench, which was approximately three to four feet wide and eight to 10 feet deep, while firefighters from Irving and Coppell worked to carefully remove the dirt from around him without causing more dirt to settle and cover him.
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Though Vasquez remained conscious and talking to paramedics, Irving Assistant Fire Chief J. Taylor said crews gave him some sort of medication to keep him calm and prevent him from inadvertently causing more soil to cover his body.
Once he was pulled to safety, Vasquez was transported by ambulance to an awaiting medical helicopter, which then rushed him to Parkland Memorial Hospital.
The worker is employed by a third-party contractor hired by the city of Irving.