Companies’ Donation of Pumps Helped Ensure Successful Rescue

When Los Angeles Fire Capt. Steve Ruda got the call, he thought it was a hoax.

Ruda was just about to leave for Wednesday’s accident scene in Pacoima where a construction worker had fallen into a hole and was buried up to his neck in soil.

But the caller insisted he could help.

Art Castellanos, a supervisor for United Pumping Services, Inc., said his City of Industry-based company wanted to lend one of their powerful vacuum pumps to help save the worker, Art Garcia. Typically, the vacuums are used for excavation purposes or to remove debris from storm drains. Castellanos said he had a truck fueled up and ready to go.

United’s “Guzzler” pump proved invaluable in the rescue, prompting firefighters to praise the firm, as well as another private company, Miller Pipeline Corp., of Santa Fe Springs, which also donated a vacuum.

“That man is alive today because of [their] generosity,” said Ruda.

Firefighters used the donated pumps to clear several tons of dirt from the 15-foot hole that entombed Garcia.

After receiving a plea for help from the L.A. Department of Water and Power, Miller Pipeline dispatched a smaller-gauge vacuum. That pump was helpful for the last part of the eight-hour rescue when United’s vacuum was too big for the tight confines of the hole as workers made their way down.

United Pumping was first alerted to the emergency by a company customer who saw the drama on TV as it unfolded in its early stages and immediately telephoned the firm, thinking its equipment might prove useful. That led to Castellanos’ conversation with Ruda.

“It’s not unusual that firefighters at times have drafted heavy equipment [from outside sources],” said Ruda. “But here’s a guy who didn’t have to. He said, ‘I’ve got the machine that’s going to make this thing safe.’ ”

Firefighters had been using their own vacuum pump, along with a device known as an air knife, which shoots compressed air, to loosen the dirt around Garcia. But they were making very slow progress.

“For every three steps we were taking, we were taking two and a half back,” said Ruda, explaining how dirt from the trench’s sides repeatedly caved in. The Fire Department’s small pump simply couldn’t keep pace.

If the accident had happened six months ago, firefighters would have been forced to use buckets and shovels to remove the dirt, fire authorities said. The pump is a recent purchase.

When United workers arrived at the accident about 7 p.m., they found Garcia still buried up to his neck.

Within 20 minutes, the Guzzler, which can remove a whopping 16 tons of soil per hour, had helped firefighters dig out Garcia down to his waist.

Freedom, now, seemed within reach.

“Let’s consider the Berlin Wall,” Ruda said. “I’m using a hammer. Eventually that’s going to come down. But now, you bring in a wrecking crane and a ball on it, that could be the difference.”

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How It Happened

Firefighters on Wednesday freed a construction worker buried to his neck in soil after falling 15 feet into a sinkhole when the ground beside a trench gave way. The chain of events is shown below.

1. Art Garcia and two other construction workers are standing beside an open trench.

2. Ground where they are standing gives way.

3. The two other workers hold on to a metal shoring plate, but Garcia falls into the sinkhole. The two workers are helped to safety and are not injured in the accident.

4. Garcia falls 15 feet and is buried up to his neck. His head is wedged between two shoring plates.

5. Firefighters arrive on the scene and can see only Garcia’s hand and hard hat. They snake an air hose to him to supply oxygen and begin rescue operation.