A construction worker died Wednesday morning in an accident at a pure water pipeline construction site in Scripps Ranch after dirt and a pipe crushed him at the bottom of a trench, authorities reported.

 

According to San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) officials, emergency crews were called to a water pipeline construction site in the 11200 block of Hoyt Park Drive, near Scripps Ranch Boulevard, around 4 a.m. for what was described as a trench rescue. According to a local San Diego news outlet.

 

SDFD officials stated that they were informed a worker was approximately 20 feet down in a trench with dirt and a concrete pipe on top of him. A co-worker who was also in the trench at the time managed to escape.

 

Tommy Charpentier, Battalion Chief and Incident Commander with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, explained: "My understanding is that the dirt slid, creating a massive amount of weight and material that pushed the pipe onto the victim. To my understanding, they were installing the pipe when the accident occurred."

 

Emergency crews arrived shortly after, but paramedics determined that the worker had died around 4:45 a.m. Authorities believe an unstable foundation caused the 4-foot-wide pipe to fall on the worker.

 

The fire department's rescue team lowered down to recover a worker who had apparently become trapped.

Co-workers at the scene were visibly devastated by the sudden loss of their colleague, and the rescue crews were also affected by the worker's death.

 

"It is difficult when we transition from a rescue to a recovery, and we are here interacting with co-workers. The city employees and contractors knew this victim and were here when he passed away in the accident," said Charpentier.

 

Cal/OSHA officials were on their way to the scene to conduct an investigation.