Plumber trapped after trench collapse in Howard County
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Version 0 of 1. A plumber digging for a water line became trapped for about an hour Saturday night after a trench collapsed outside a Howard County residence. The man was working outside a home near 6400 Barchink Place in Columbia when the nine-foot trench partially collapsed, burying the man to his chest in moist soil, according to Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman Cerisa Speight. The man was conscious and alert, and trying to free himself when authorities arrived, about 7:30 p.m. It took about an hour to free him from the trench, which rescue crews had to first shore and stabilize to prevent further collapse. The man was evaluated and taken to a local hospital for concerns related to shock , Speight said. She did not know what caused the trench to collapse, but said excavation and trench-digging are among the most dangerous construction operations. |