A tragic incident occurred this morning at a sewer construction site on Cape Cod when a trench collapsed, resulting in one fatality and injuries to two other workers. According to NBC Boston, first responders arrived at the scene in front of The Skipper Restaurant and Chowder House on South Shore Drive in Yarmouth around 8:51 a.m., following reports of a collapsed trench with workers trapped inside.
Fire Chief Enrique Arrascue informed NBC Boston that emergency teams found one worker buried up to the waist, another who had leaped into the excavation in an attempt to assist, and a second individual who managed to exit on his own before being transported to Cape Cod Hospital. Meanwhile, crews labored extensively, amid ongoing destabilization of the trench, to free the partially buried worker, who was later airlifted to Rhode Island Hospital. Regrettably, the rescue effort transitioned into recovery for the third worker, who remains buried and is presumed deceased, with operations expected to continue for several more hours. "There was a lot of collapse of the trench as we tried to remove him," Arrascue said.
WCVB noted the presence of numerous first responders at the worksite where the trench was part of a sewer construction project located at 152 S. Shore Drive. From aerial footage captured by Sky5, emergency teams could be seen using hydraulic jacks and wooden boards, shoring up the trench walls to prevent further collapses and ensuring a safe rescue and recovery operation.
The Yarmouth Fire Department is leading the response and has made progress in the rescue efforts. Details about the construction site’s safety measures and the company involved have not yet been released. Yarmouth police are urging the public to stay away from the area so emergency crews can work without interruption.
