Watch CBS News

Man rescued from collapsed trench outside Yonkers home

First responders rescue man trapped in trench in Yonkers
First responders rescue man trapped in trench in Yonkers 00:44

YONKERS, N.Y. -- There was a dramatic trench rescue in Yonkers on Friday.

A man doing waterproofing work along the foundation of a home was trapped when the trench he was working in collapsed.

Yonkers firefighters broke through the foundation from inside the home to relieve some of the pressure, attached a harness to the man and pulled him out of the hole using a fire truck ladder.

"He was pinned between a boulder that was hitting him in the back and the wall of the home," Yonkers fire commissioner Tony Pagano said. "We were actually hand-digging in the hole ourselves, hand-dig it so we could release some of the pressure around his lungs."

The man was awake during the entire rescue. He was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.