Construction Worker Killed in Benedict Canyon Trench

Update 5:50 p.m.

The city of Beverly Hills has released the following statement:

Beverly Hills rescue crews are recovering the body of a construction worker on Benedict Canyon Drive who was buried under several feet of dirt when a trench collapsed. 

A 911 call was received at approximately 3:45 p.m. on May 10, reporting that a man working at a residence was buried in a trench that had collapsed. Firefighter paramedics were dispatched but determined that the man had been underground for more than 20 minutes and began the process of recovering the body.

The identity of the deceased worker has not been released.

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Update 5:30 p.m.

A construction worker was killed Thursday when an 8-foot-deep trench collapsed at a Beverly Hills construction site.

The collapse was reported shortly after 3:30 p.m. at a home on the 1200 block of North Benedict Canyon Drive, according to Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters first thought the estate was in Los Angeles, but after the rescue operation became a recovery operation, it was learned it was in Beverly Hills, Humphrey said. He said the two departments worked side by side, which normally is the case with fire departments working an emergency together.

"When we arrived, you could see the man's fingertips over his head. Despite the rapid response, the man was sadly declared beyond our help," Humphrey said. The man can't be declared officially dead until the remains are recovered, he said.

According to Humphrey, the "two departments will work together to assure the dignified and discreet removal of the man's remains."

Humphrey said that Beverly Hills firefighters were on scene and the Los Angeles Fire Department had 77 firefighters, "including our elite urban search and rescue teams."

Humphrey said that what happened was not witnessed, but it had been at least 20 minutes since anyone had seen the worker alive, meaning he could have been buried for that long. He said the trench was estimated to be 8-feet tall and was adjacent to a concrete slab. It was not immediately known what type of construction work was being done at the home or what caused the trench to collapse, covering the worker under at least 3 feet of dirt.

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Update 5:20 p.m. 

The coroner is on the scene and the incident is now officially a recovery as emergency personnel search for one worker who remains buried, according to LAFD alerts.

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A trench rescue is underway for a construction worker who got trapped in an 8-foot-deep excavation site in Beverly Hills.

A call came in to the Los Angeles Fire Department shortly after 3:30 p.m. to respond to 1265 N. Benedict Canyon Drive, where a worker was reportedly "completely covered in 8-foot deep excavation," according to an LAFD alert. The home was later determined to be within Beverly Hills city limits.

Approximately 20 emergency vehicles were spotted at the scene while the rescue was underway.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available. 

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