Jul 28, 2021

Rescue crews free man from hole in Hutchinson

Posted Jul 28, 2021 10:00 AM
The man was buried in a wet slurry mix and was unable to extricate himself. -photo Hutchinson Fire Dept.
The man was buried in a wet slurry mix and was unable to extricate himself. -photo Hutchinson Fire Dept.

RENO COUNTY —A Kansas man was injured in an accident during a sewer line project in Hutchinson.

Just before 5p.m. Tuesday, fire crews were dispatched for a trench rescue incident at 1707 East Blanchard Avenue in Hutchinson, according to Fire Chief Steven Beer.

First arriving fire units found a 24-year-old male buried up to his waist in a 12’x12’x8’ deep hole that had collapsed on him.

He was buried in a wet slurry mix and was unable to extricate himself. Fire crews immediately requested mutual aid from Newton and Sedgwick County Fire Departments due to the high heat and labor-intensive operations.

The man was in the hole replacing a 4-inch sewer line when the collapse occurred. It took fire crews 3 hours and 12 minutes to safely extricate him from the hole. No other injuries occurred.

Fire crews battled a low ground water table which in turn had created a large amount of water seeping into the collapsed hole. Fire crews worked in 30-minute shifts, were then rehydrated, and placed back in the work rotation to keep crews fresh. Once extricated, the individual was transported by Reno County EMS to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, according to Beer. Authorities did have have an update on his condition early Wednesday.