Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the two Idaho men that lost their lives in a trench collapse yesterday.

 

The construction site is near Hill Road Parkway and Gary Lane in Boise.  3 men were working in the 9 foot trench when a wall collapsed.  When the Boise Fire Department arrived they found one man partially covered that they were able to pull to safety.  He's alive and at the hospital but no word yet on his condition.

 

It took another 3 1/2 hours to retrieve the other two men who had died from mechanical asphyxia due to compression.  26 year old Ernesto Saucedo-Zapata of Nampa and 36 year old Bert A. Smith of Caldwell didn't make it.

 

The Boise Fire Department has a special crew to handle these types of situations.  Equipment cannot be used to dig out the trench because often times a 2nd and/or 3rd collapse will take place.  This means it has to be dug out by hand, using 5 gallon buckets.

The incident is currently under investigation from OHSHA.  The cause is still undetermined.

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