Crowd Cheers as Minn. Worker Rescued from Pit

Aug. 20--Emergency crews in St. Paul rescued a construction worker trapped in a pit on the worksite of the University Avenue light rail project Monday morning.

The worker was operating a massive drill, gouging 8-foot-deep, 36-inch wide pits along the rail bed, and somehow he fell into one of his own freshly-dug holes, officials said. The man hurt his shoulder in the fall, but was able to talk to firefighters during the half-hour it took to rig a rescue harness and pull him out of the cramped space.

"He drilled the hole, and for some reason, stepped into the hole," said Jim Smith, assistant fire chief of operations for the St. Paul Fire Department. The accident happened across the street from the State Capitol, drawing a small crowd that cheered and applauded as the worker emerged from the pit.

There was some concern that the dirt sides of the cramped pit could have caved in on the trapped worker, Smith said.

A firefighter, dangling upsidedown from a rope secured to a bucket truck, was lowered slowly into the hole, where he attached a harness to the man, allowing crews to pull him to safety. The worker was able to limp to a waiting gurney before being taken away by ambulance.

Jennifer Brooks --651-925-5049

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