2 Men Lose Part of Feet in Cable Accident

Two workers each had part of a foot severed when a steel cable came loose in a Lancaster construction accident Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported.

The 8:10 a.m. accident occurred at Avenue E and 20th Street West as a work crew for Western Utility Contractors used machinery to pull a quarter-inch-thick steel cable down the street next to a construction site where a sewer main was to be placed, officials said.

It was unclear whether the cable snapped or came loose and entangled two men on the crew, officials said. One victim’s right foot was severed at the ankle by the cable; the other man lost about one-third of his left foot, firefighters said.

The victims, both about 45 and from Lancaster, were taken to the Antelope Valley Medical Center, where both were in serious condition, officials said. Hospital officials, firefighters and accident investigators declined to identify the men.

Rick Rice, a spokesman for Cal/OSHA, said an investigation of the accident was begun Tuesday, but the cause was not known.

After the victims were taken to the hospital, paramedics Fred Carter and Jim Larue returned to the accident site to thank other members of the work crew for their efforts to calm and help the injured men.