Crews rescued a worker who became trapped Monday after a retaining wall collapsed on him, burying him up to his waist in rocks and dirt.
The incident unfolded at around 10:30 a.m. when crews with Valley Regional Fire Authority received a report of a man who was trapped after a six-foot wall collapsed near Evergreen Way SE and Kersey Way SE in Auburn.
Arriving on scene, the rescuers found a worker in his 40s who was buried up to his waist. The man was conscious and able to talk, but a 1,400-pound concrete block was impeding rescue efforts.
Crews shored up the dirt and rock using cribbing materials and an excavator operator was able to remove the 1,400-pound block.
After the block was removed, the worker was placed on a backboard and gently slid out of the trench. Medics treated the patient and warmed him to stave off hypothermia, then took him in stable condition to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.