Man freed from collapsed trench in Danville

DANVILLE (WSLS 10) - Danville fire and rescue crews save a man trapped in a trench on Thursday.

Danville Fire Battalion Chief Brian Alderson said the collapse happened around 1:50 p.m. outside a home on Oakwood Drive.

Fire fighters said the construction worker was waterproofing a home on Oakwood Drive when part of the trench he was in collapsed around him.

"All we could see was the victim's head which was kind of disheartening, but upon closer inspection we determined he did have some breathing room on the upper part of his body," said Wesley Marshall, captain of Danville Fire Department.

Alderson said it took about an hour to pull the man from the trench.

Crews had to cut a hole through the basement to get him out.

"Technical rescue calls don't really happen that much anywhere so they train and train and train a lot just to be prepared for an incident like this."

Firefighters said the man was able to walk to the stretcher before being taken to the Danville Regional Hospital. He's in stable condition.

City workers said the gas line to the house was damaged and people living at the residence are being assisted by the Red Cross.