Action News learned that the company, Ed Simon Contracting, was forced to pay thousands of dollars after safety incidents involving trenches in 2016. OSHA confirmed that they found three serious violations during a planned inspection. Those violations resulted in $5,500 in penalties.
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OSHA is now investigating the collapse that trapped an employee for more than eight hours on Wednesday. The owner of the company in Allentown could not be reached for comment.
"Look down in the hole, he was almost completely buried up to his chin," said Captain John Christopher of the Allentown Fire Department. He was one of the first rescuers on the scene after the call came in around 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
Crews working to free man trapped in trench collapse in Allentown
The crew was working to replace a sewage line behind a row home near W. Gordon St. and N. Fulton St. when the narrow trench they dug partially collapsed with two people inside. One man was trapped.
Rescuers had to first shore up the sides of the trench that was nearly 12 feet deep. Then they pumped in heat to prevent hypothermia as temperatures dropped. Paramedics hooked the man up to an IV while rescuers started digging by hand.
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"You don't know what you're digging into. You don't know where his extremities are. You don't know where his arm is. You don't know where his legs are. So it's a real meticulous process," Capt. Christopher said. "It didn't look good."
After more than eight hours, rescuers freed the man at 10:18 p.m. to cheers from onlookers. He was rushed by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest where he was listed in stable condition on Thursday afternoon.
Another worker was in the trench at the time but was able to get out unharmed. OSHA is looking into whether proper safety protocols were followed.
Meanwhile, the trapped worker actually got some good news during his ordeal: he is going to be a father.
"And because every story deserves a happy ending...shortly before we were able to lift him out of the trench, the rescued man's wife told him she was pregnant with their first child!" the City of Allentown posted to Facebook.