Sheriff: Man Dies In Western Wisconsin Trench Collapse

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 22-year-old man died last Saturday after being pinned in a collapsed trench in western Wisconsin, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities responded to the incident at about 7:30 p.m. at N7155 690th Street in Martell, Wis., which is just east of River Falls. The initial call was that a man was pinned in a collapsed trench where he and others were working to bury a water line.

The man's father and a family friend scrambled to dig the man out of the trench. First responders immediately started digging by hand until they could get to the man to administer CPR. The man was eventually freed, but was unconscious.

He was airlifted to Regions Hospital, where was pronounced dead. He was identified by authorities as Joseph T. Sanderson.