Worker rescued from trench in Spring Valley

A 31-year-old construction worker in Spring Valley fell into a 5-by-15-foot trench and was subsequently pinned by a 1400-pound concrete form on the morning of January 4.

After being rescued by CalFire personnel, the worker was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he is in stable condition with chest and back injuries, according to San Miguel Fire Department spokesman Leonard Villareal. "It took nine firefighters and his crew and a crane to get him out," Villareal said.

The crew was working on a project for Pacific Hydrotech, near the intersection of Jamacha Road and Omega Street, when one of the forms fell on him and pushed him into the trench, Villareal said. "The extraction took about 20 minutes.”

The worker was conscious at the scene and, though injured, is expected to recover. Villareal said that it appeared that the worker was wearing all the required safety gear at the time of the accident.

Employees at Pacific Hydrotech, in Perris, were unable to explain what project the crew was working on. The company website says they have worked on past projects for the Helix Water District, Santee's Padre Dam Water District, and "Otay 640-1 & 640-2 Reservoirs." The accident occurred less than a quarter mile north of the Sweetwater Reservoir.