A man in his 20s was killed Sunday evening when a trench collapsed in rural Olmsted County, turning an excavation site into a fatal trap in a matter of seconds, authorities said.
The collapse happened around 5:15 p.m. on the 6000 block of County Road 108 SW in Rock Dell Township, southeast of Dodge Center. First responders pulled the man from the trench, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to FOX 9, crews from the Stewartville Fire Department, Stewartville First Responders, Mayo Clinic Ambulance, Mayo One, and the Rochester Fire Department all responded to the call and helped recover the victim. The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office has not released the man’s identity.
Investigation ongoing
Authorities are still piecing together how the trench gave way.
"The man has not yet been identified, and the circumstances leading up to his death remain under investigation," the Sheriff's Office said, as reported by FOX 9. Deputies and fire investigators stayed on scene while the county continued its probe.
Trenching risks and safety
Trench collapses can bury or crush workers in seconds. Federal guidance calls for protective systems such as shoring, sloping or shielding, along with a qualified "competent person" to inspect excavations, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA says these precautions are central to preventing cave ins.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has promoted statewide Excavation Safety Stand downs that urge employers to pause work and review digging practices, stressing that many trench incidents are preventable when rules are followed. Minnesota DLI and the CDC's trenching guidance through NIOSH offer checklists and resources for crews and employers. NIOSH notes that proper protective systems dramatically reduce the risk of fatal collapses.
What comes next
Olmsted County investigators are continuing their work and have not released additional details about what led up to the collapse. If the incident is determined to be work-related, MNOSHA or federal OSHA could review the site. County officials say they will release more information as it becomes available.
