A construction worker fell about 20 feet down a manhole in a Morgan Hill roadway Aug. 11, prompting a “confined space rescue” from nearby firefighters and emergency personnel, according to authorities.
CalFire and other agencies responded to the scene about 2:30pm near Ridgeview Court and Jackson Oaks Drive in east Morgan Hill, said CalFire Capt. Josh Shifrin. A construction worker who was working in the roadway had fallen into an open manhole.
“It sounded like, while he was working, he lost his footing and fell into the manhole,” Shifrin said. “He was about 20 feet down, wedged in the manhole pipe.”
Multiple CalFire units, as well as a hazmat team, arrived at the scene. Shifrin said it was important to ensure the trapped construction worker had clean air to breathe while firefighters worked on their plan to pull him out of the space. Photos posted to the CalFire Santa Clara Unit’s Twitter feed showed large air hoses leading from the road surface down into the manhole, while firefighters set up rescue equipment.
Just over two hours after the initial call, crews safely removed the man from the confined space, Shifrin said.
The construction worker was treated at the scene, then transported to a nearby hospital for unspecified injuries, according to authorities.
