Report by Paula Antolini, May 11, 2022, 11:54PM EDT
At approximately 1:07 p.m. today Stony Hill and Bethel Volunteer Fire Departments were alerted to a reported trench collapse on Budd Drive in the Stony Hill district. Due to the nature of the report, Danbury Fire Department was immediately requested for the technical rescue team and trench rescue trailer.
Stony Hill Rescue 2 arrived on scene and confirmed a worker was trapped in a hole approximately 13-15 feet deep, up to his chin in dirt. The worker was conscious and talking when responders arrived. Upon the arrival of additional resources, including Danbury’s equipment, firefighters began to properly shore up the hole, preventing further collapse. When the combined effort of Stony Hill, Bethel, and Danbury firefighters working in the hole, dirt was removed by hand into buckets to help free the worker. A special call was made to the City of Danbury Public Works for a vacuum truck to better help firefighters remove the dirt.
A decision was made by Nuvance health Paramedics on scene and Doctors at Danbury Hospital that the individual needed to be airlifted, once removed, to Yale New Haven Hospital. Crews standing by in town from Brookfield and West Redding Fire Departments secured the landing zone for Life Star at Rubino Field on Hawleyville Road.
The victim was removed at 3:55 p.m. and was trapped for approximately 2 1/2 hours. He was transported by Stony Hill EMS to the landing zone and then to Yale New Haven Hospital, via LifeStar helicopter, in serious condition.
This incident was a tremendous effort by mulyiple outside agencies including Danbury, Brookfield, West Redding, Dodgingtown and Ridgefield Fire Departments, Danbury and Bethel Public Works, Bethel Police, and Nuvance Health Paramedics.
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