Man rescued after falling into construction trench

By Mary Manning

Published Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009 | 9:18 p.m.

Updated Friday, Oct. 2, 2009 | 4:38 a.m.

A man used his cell phone to call for help after he fell into a 25-foot-deep construction trench Thursday night in northwestern Las Vegas, the Las Vegas Fire Department reported.

The man called 911 about 7:15 p.m. after he fell into the trench along Rampart Boulevard, across from the Suncoast, where the Las Vegas Valley Water District is replacing a 36-inch pipeline, said Tim Szymanski, a spokesman for the Fire Department.

The man was in the trench for about two hours before he was rescued by technical rescue firefighters from Las Vegas Fire and Rescue and the Clark County Fire Department. Workers had to stabilize the trench, shoring up the walls with wood and other equipment, before bringing him out, Szymanski said. The man, who appeared to be in his 20s, complained of leg and arm pain and was taken to a local hospital, he said.

The man's name was not immediately released. Neither construction workers nor the Water District knew who he was, Szymanski said.

The ditch, which is 50 feet long and 30 feet wide, was supposed to be filled in by construction crews Thursday night, Szymanski said. Signs were posted at the site warning of the ditch, Szymanski said. The construction site was also surrounded by a concrete jersey wall, officials said.

Rampart was closed to traffic from Alta to Canyon Run drives because the sides of the ditch were unstable, and rescuers feared that there might be a collapse, officials said.

A total of 37 firefighters responded to the scene.