Gas, lack of oxygen lead to deaths of two workers

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2000 | 10:48 a.m.

Two workers were killed Tuesday in Henderson while cleaning rubble and debris out of a manhole in a housing development under construction.

The accident occurred about 12:15 p.m. in the Castle Ridge Estates development near Gibson Road and Painted Daisy Avenue, Henderson Fire Department Battalion Chief Robert Maroney said.

"It looks like some debris fell down into the manhole and the sewer line below it, and they were working on cleaning it out," Maroney said. "One collapsed and then the other started hollering for help before he collapsed."

Firefighters found Manual Ruiz, 24, and Manual Rodriguez-Saavedra, 25, both of Las Vegas, at the bottom of the manhole, and rescue personnel equipped with air tanks discovered that they were both dead, Maroney said.

Witnesses say that after calling for help the second worker went down the manhole in an attempt to save his fellow worker, but was also overcome by a lack of oxygen as well as some kind of gas.

A flammable gas, most likely methane, was registered in the manhole by Henderson fire officials. Readings also showed that the oxygen level in the manhole was at about 19 percent, 2 percent below a normal level.

"There was no real flow in the sewer line because it was part of a new development, but there was some standing, stagnant water in the bottom," Maroney said.

The sewer line had not yet been released to the city of Henderson because it was part of a still under-construction development.

Diamond Construction Co., Inc. is the subcontractor on the Castle Ridge Estates development, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the incident.

Sun reporter Keith Paul contributed to this story.