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| Construction worker Abel Sauceda Quiñónez employed by Platinum Pipeline, died when a trench collapsed and was burried alive under 12 feet of soil in Daly City in California |
DALY CITY (CBS SF) —
A male construction worker, Abel Sauceda Quiñónez, apparently died when a trench collapsed around him Friday morning in Daly City, North County Fire Authority officials said.
The man was found trapped by dirt and debris after rescue personnel arrived at 1 Martin St.
Crews had responded at 11:20 a.m. and tried to treat the victim but they determined he had died.
Fire officials said the accident appears to have occurred while workers were grading a 12-foot deep trench to put in a 24-inch concrete drainpipe for a new housing development.
Two urban search and rescue crews were called in to extricate the victim because of the instability of the trench and surrounding ground. Fire officials said crews spent about 12 hours completing the extrication.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the accident.
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DALY CITY, Calif. (KGO) --
A Friday morning
rescue quickly turned into a recovery effort at a construction site near
Linda Vista Drive and Main Street in Daly City.North County Fire crews responded to One Martin Street at 11:20 a.m. on a call of a medical emergency and trench rescue.
Clyde Preston with North County Fire says two men were working on a 24-inch concrete storm drain when a trench collapsed beneath them.
"They were getting out of the trench at the time, when the trench collapsed in," Preston explained. "Crushing one of the workers in the trench."
That's when the recovery effort began.
It's unknown how deep the man's body was buried, but Preston said the trench was approximately 12-feet deep.
He said the instability of the surrounding dirt and debris required specialized equipment- specifically used in confined space rescues.
"I'm just hoping that they'll be able to find him," neighbor Azselle Deguzman told ABC7 News. "I feel bad for his family."
Deguzman said she often greeted construction workers before heading to work, and Friday was no different.
North County fire officials said the man worked for Platinum Pipeline.
ABC7 News has reached out to the company for comment.
Company attorney, Bill Bogdan spoke with ABC7 News on Friday. Bogdan said he wanted to refrain from describing who the worker was, as he wasn't sure whether family had been notified.
Bogdan said Friday was a tough day for everyone involved.
He said, "To have lost a good friend, a good worker, a good man. This is something we live every day to avoid."
As of 10:15 p.m. Friday night, crews had yet to recover the man's body.
Several agencies including Central County, North County, Millbrae and South San Francisco crews assisted in the recovery effort, Friday.
California Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators also responded.
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Platinum Pipeline, Inc. is a General Engineering Contractor located in Livermore, CA who specializes in the construction of underground pipeline systems. We pride ourselves on providing the highest level of safety, efficiency, and customer service in the industry.
With our exceptional commitment to safety, we have earned the lowest possible experience modification rating, which is currently
73%. Platinum has never had a lost-time accident since its inception. We have never finished a project behind schedule, in fact, most projects are completed well ahead of schedule. The majority of our customers are return clients who welcome us with open arms.
One of our philosophies at Platinum Pipeline is: “life is long, we’ll meet again”. This means that we know we are in a small, specialized industry and we will see the various people who we have worked with on past projects again on future projects. Whether that person is in a different position within the same company, at a different company, or still in the industry but working in a different capacity, we want them to recognize and remember Platinum Pipeline and our employees as the company and people who they know they can trust to get the job done with the highest levels of safety, efficiency, and customer service. Those individuals will know from past experience with us that they can now focus on the other aspects of their project because they know Platinum Pipeline requires very little management and they can count on us.