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Friday, Nov. 13, 2009

Man buried in trench collapse rescued

MODESTO -- A man was buried beneath three feet of dirt for about 15 minutes after the walls of a trench on a west Modesto farm collapsed around him Thursday morning.

Rescue workers using shovels pulled him free, and he was taken by helicopter to a hospital in critical condition, authorities said.

His condition was upgraded to "stable," and his injuries are not life-threatening, according to a hospital nursing supervisor.

The man was identified as Kyle Oosterkamp, 19, according to a cousin who was working with Oosterkamp at the time of the collapse.

The accident happened about 9:30 a.m. at a farm near the intersection of Beckwith and Finney roads.

Heath Flora, an engineer with Woodland Avenue Fire District, was one of the first to arrive and helped extricate Oosterkamp.

"He was completely buried," Flora said. "We uncovered a leg at first, a piece of denim. Then we spread our search out a little more and then uncovered his back. Then we found his head. We lifted his head straight out, he took a nice deep breath and seemed to be recovered, hopefully.

"He wasn't conscious at that time, but once he took some breaths, and we got some oxygen to him for a couple of minutes, he picked up again and he was talking and alert when he left here."

Dale Skiles, chief of the Salida Fire Protection District, said Oosterkamp, along with other workers, were tending to a pipe inside the trench on the family farm.

"We were digging a trench and putting something in the hole and the hole just collapsed," said cousin Mark Oosterkamp, 20, who was visibly shaken as he described the events. "We just got in there and were digging with our hands."

He said there was one other worker in the trench, which after the accident appeared to be about 15 feet deep, 30 feet long and 8 feet across at its widest point. The other worker barely escaped injury.

As the wall collapsed, Mark Oosterkamp, who was sitting in the cab of a nearby back hoe, said Kyle Oosterkamp yelled to alert other employees before the collapsing dirt slammed him against the wall.

Mark Oosterkamp began digging furiously with his hands, while another employee went to call 911 and lead rescuers to the trench.

"I saw it all happen and was immediately dreading the worst," Mark Oosterkamp said.

He directed rescuers to where his cousin was buried, then prayed with his father, Gary.

"We are just thankful he is OK," Mark Oosterkamp said.

There were some anxious moments as workers began digging. They arrived about five minutes after the call, and made contact with Oosterkamp about 10 minutes later, Flora said.

First, the walls weren't stable, so only two rescue workers were allowed to dig at one time.

They had to work fast, but be careful not to injure Oosterkamp.