Trapped worker rescued after being ‘buried up to his head’ in gravel, firefighters say
A Georgia man is lucky to be alive after he became trapped under “tons of gravel” at an Atlanta-area rock quarry.
The 30-year-old was freed Tuesday, Dec. 19, following an hours-long rescue at the Wayne Davis Concrete Co. in Dallas, according to Paulding County Fire Rescue and WSB-TV.
Crews got a call at approximately 9:30 a.m. about a worker who plunged 20 feet into a gravel hopper and got stuck, fire officials said. The man was “buried up to his head” in construction material and could be heard moaning, his coworkers told 911.
Emergency crews from neighboring Cobb County also aided in the “epic rescue.”
The worker was reportedly trying to dislodge something that was stuck in the hopper when the gravel caved in, trapping his lower half, WAGA reported, citing Paulding County Fire officials. A second wave of gravel fell as rescuers worked to extricate him.
“We got here and we couldn’t actually see the top of his head,” Lt. Josh Collier with the Paulding County Fire Department told WSB-TV. “He had material on top of him and underneath him so he was trapped.”
Firefighters posted photos from the rescue, showing a system of ropes and ladders they used to hoist the trapped worker to safety. The rescue lasted about five hours, authorities said.
The man suffered injuries but was “conscious and alert” when airlifted to a hospital, authorities said. His condition wasn’t known as of Dec. 21, but rescuers said he’s expected to be OK.
“This is just a Christmas miracle,” Paulding County Fire spokesperson Steve Mapes told WXIA. “Feeling great that this man was extricated and still alive. He is just really lucky that it ended this way.”
Dallas is about 30 miles northwest of downtown Atlanta.
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