The man was working in the trench at a new housing estate in
District 8 Operations Manager Paul Carrigg said CFA was alerted to the incident about 9.10am.
“SES was on scene and we called in specialist equipment from Dandenong and Hallam CFA brigades and MFB,” he said.
“The victim was treated by paramedics until the equipment was set up.”
The specialist equipment used to free the man included power spreaders and timbers – hydraulic equipment that allowed firefighters to dig the trench safely, ensuring it didn’t collapse while the rescue was taking place.
The man was freed about 10.40am and taken to hospital in a stable condition but had some injuries.
Mr Carrigg said while this type of incident doesn’t happen on a regular basis, CFA’s specialist response teams are trained and ready to respond when required.
“Today’s rescue was an effective multiagency response that resulted in the victim being released in a timely manner in a stable condition,” he said.
CFA had eight trucks and vehicles on scene from Dandenong, Hallam, Pakenham, Nar Nar Goon, Toomuc and the Cardinia Group. Five MFB trucks attended and one SES crew.
Images by Keith Pakenham - CFA Photographer
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