PLAYA DEL REY : Worker Dies When Pit Collapses
A construction worker died last week when a foundation pit for an ocean-view home collapsed, burying him in sand, firefighters said.
The body of the 62-year-old worker was pulled free about two hours after the 3:22 p.m. cave-in Wednesday at Manchester Boulevard and Vista Del Mar Lane, said Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Reagan.
The accident occurred as workers were drilling holes for pilings to support a hillside home.
The drill had reached 18 feet and was being withdrawn when the sides of the hole collapsed, bringing down two workers who were standing at the edge, said Fire Department spokesman Mike Little.
One man managed to scramble out of the hole, but the other apparently fell in head-first. A secondary cave-in buried him under two to 10 feet of sand, authorities said.
Twenty-five firefighters and a rescue ambulance were sent to the scene, along with a specially equipped search-and-rescue team.
Crews propped up the sides of the hole with lumber as they used buckets and shovels to excavate the man, whose identity was not disclosed.
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