Recovery Of Construction Worker In Collapsed Trench Proves More Difficult For Authorities

GROSSE POINTE WOODS (WWJ/AP) - Sometime soon. That's when authorities hope to recover the body of a construction worker who died in a trench collapse in Grosse Pointe Woods Wednesday afternoon.

Shadd Whitehead, special operations chief for western Wayne County, told WWJ about the difficulty in this recovery.

"This is probably one of the most difficult operations, I think, we've ever been involved in, certainly," said Whitehead. "OVer the years, we've had trench incidents but nothing that has challenged us in this way."

He says they inserted a protective trench box to shore up the hole so special teams could dig for the body of 59-year old Leland Rumph of Sterling Heights.

Grosse Pointe Woods police officers responded around midday Wednesday and freed Leland Rumph's head. They were giving him oxygen when a secondary collapse covered his head and injured an officer.

Rumph owned a construction business. Authorities say he was working to help install a sewer line.

Authorities say an investigation will be needed to determine whether the digging work was being done properly.
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