OXFORD, Mich. — A construction worker trapped in a collapsed trench in Oxford has been released from the hospital and is expected to be okay, according to those familiar with the worker. The rescue Tuesday near Lapeer and Oxford Roads required approximately 100 first responders and took about four-and-half hours.
The collapse is the fourth trench incident in Michigan in recent months. Three others occurred earlier this summer in southeast Michigan, including one that turned deadly. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating all four incidents, and all cases remain open and active.
Oxford Fire Chief Matthew Majestic described how the collapse happened.
"One of the workers was walking parallel with the trench and the lip gave way and he basically slid down into the trench next to their trench box which probably helped save his life," Majestic said. “As he was in there, all that soil just kept coming in and coming in.”
Construction crews were in the area for the Brapp Dewey Sewer Project, which neighbors say only began the construction phase of work this week. Temperatures reached into the 90s during the rescue.
Battalion Chief Tim Miller and Captain Scott Wiegand of the Southfield Fire Department made the nearly hour-long drive to assist along with multiple other departments. Southfield Fire helps train Michigan firefighters on trench collapses.
Miller said the worker's attitude during the ordeal stood out.
"For someone stuck in a trench for a couple hours, he had great spirits. He was joking with us a little bit. He even took a shovel at one point and started helping us dig himself out," Miller said.
Miller described the rescue as one of the more difficult trench operations he has responded to.
"That was an extremely challenging trench... that was a challenging one just with how deep it was, the machinery that was stationed around the trench," Miller said.
Miller also spoke to the department's preparation for situations like this.
"We've got a trench simulator as well as rope rescue, confined space rescue, building collapse. So, we train as our tech rescue team pretty much monthly," Miller said.
Bill Shuster, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Wayne State, weighed in on what may be driving the increase in trench collapses and what can be done to prevent them.
"Surprisingly, soils in the area are probably a little more supportive when they're on the dry side," Shuster said. "That constant monitoring and assessment, putting a yellow tape farther back from the trench and having very regulated ingress and egress from the work area can all help prevent these."
First responders say the worker was adamant about climbing out of the trench on his own once he was freed.
"We wanted to help him out, and he was down there with him, and the guy was adamant about going out of the trench on his own accord," Miller said.
Neighbor Chuck Ernst, who lives near the trench, said he heard the emergency response unfold and wanted to express gratitude to those who helped.
"We heard sirens coming up from Ray Road and then when we came out here we saw lights everywhere," Ernst said. "Thank you to our fire department, our search and rescue, county team and all of the police officers and deputies that came out to this."
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