Weber man critical after trench collapsed, burying him alive

OGDEN — A man at a construction site in Weber County is in critical condition after a trench collapsed and buried him completely in mud, according to the Weber County Fire Department.

David Reed with WCFD said that the construction site is located at 3724 W. Alder Court, a new subdivision being built on the west side of Weber County. The address is near 3500 West and 1800 South. It was confirmed by the construction company that the man was a construction worker on the job.

The man, who was described to be in his late 20s, jumped into a trench at the construction site on Monday afternoon.

The trench collapsed, filling up with mud and dirt while the man was still inside. A worker next door saw what happened and ran over with a backhoe to dig the man out of the trench. Reed said it is very dangerous to dig someone up in such a manner because it can easily hurt the victim instead of helping, however in this case it was successful in saving the man’s life.

The man was transported to the hospital in critical condition, though he was conscious when medics arrived, Reed said.

An update on his condition in the hospital was not available.