Worker Rescued After Buried 9 Hours Under Rubble from Building Collapse

A construction worker who fell into a hole after a building being demolished collapsed in Louisville, Kentucky, was rescued after spending nine hours trapped under dirt and rubble, according to the Louisville Fire Department.

The collapse and entrapment occurred just before noon November 14 during the demolition of a former prison, according to the LFD’s Facebook post.

“Within minutes, our first units arrived at the scene of an ongoing demolition project and discovered an individual who had fallen into a void space and was buried in rubble,” the post says. “Rescue operations commenced immediately.”

The rescue from the 10- to 12-foot-deep hole, where the man was buried in dirt and concrete, was performed by digging and removing debris with hands and buckets. A vacuum truck was also used to remove dirt and debris. Rescuers used a crane and ladders to enter the hole.

The rescue was “meticulous and deliberate, with each movement carefully considering the safety of both the trapped individual and the rescuers,” the post said.

The man was safely removed after nine hours and taken to a local hospital. He was conscious and alert throughout the rescue and was reportedly recovering at the hospital.

In an interview with WHAS11 TV news station, Louisville Metro Emergency Services paramedic Nate Vitek told how at first he couldn’t see the worker, only heard him yelling, “I’m trapped.” Vitek was able to insert an IV into the man to keep medicine flowing to prevent crush syndrome, a skeletal muscle condition that can cause severe shock, kidney failure, other severe injuries, even death.

Louisville Fire Department