PORTAGE, Mich. — Fire crews in Portage successfully rescued a Grand Rapids man who was trapped in a construction trench, according to the Portage Department of Public Safety.
Crews were called to the 4200 block of W. Centre Avenue around 8:40 a.m. on Friday for a report of a man trapped in a construction trench being dug for installing fiber optic cables.
At 12:30 p.m., Assistant Fire Chief Jed Wild said rescue efforts were still ongoing despite some complex challenges with the rescue and that crews were making steady progress.
The 37-year-old man was rescued at 1:40 p.m. and taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.
"This is a very challenging situation, just because of the depth and the way that the hole was constructed and how it collapsed in," said Jed Wild, Assistant Fire Chief for the Portage Fire Department. "It was extremely technical, to be able to safely work around it and rescue him out of it."
Technical Rescue crews from Portage, Oshtemo and the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety worked to save the man.
"The initial hole was about three foot around, so very tight," said Wild. "We think that it was right around 10 to 12 feet deep. He was able to keep his head above the dirt and was able to breathe."
Wild said crews were able to rescue the man thanks to training agencies across West Michigan regularly perform together.
"We have a great team of tech rescue folks who are very highly trained. They work well together, they train on a regular basis throughout the county," said Wild.
Wild said that Comstock, Oshtemo, Kalamazoo, Portage, and other municipalities make up the Region 5 Technical Rescue Team.
"Today's event is exactly why we do that. They don't happen often, but when they do, you have to have that fluid teamwork and partnerships built," said Wild.
The incident is being investigated by MIOSHA to find out what caused the collapse. MIOSHA told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that they cannot provide any information on an open investigation. They said an investigation like this can take several weeks or months to complete.
MIOSHA said that excavation and trenching are some of the most dangerous construction activities. They shared that there have been 31 excavation fatalities in Michigan over the past two decades, including five fatal excavation accidents between 2018 and 2022.
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