Trench collapses, kills man in Lakeville
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
A south metro man in his 50s died Tuesday after trench walls collapsed on him as he worked to install drain tile at a new home in Lakeville.
Rescue efforts took about four hours as police and Dakota County emergency responders worked to get to the man in an 8-foot deep trench that continued crumbling in on them.
Lakeville police received a call around 3:45 p.m. that a man was trapped in a trench at 179th Street West and Hyde Park Avenue. Police say he was working with his brother.
The man's brother and other workers on a nearby construction site tried to rescue him, said deputy chief John Kornmann of the Lakeville Police Department.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
"One of the things that makes a tragic scene even worse is the man running the backhoe was the victim's brother," he added.
Police said a firefighter was lowered on a backhoe to check the man's vital signs and found no heartbeat.
"At that point it went from a rescue mission to a recovery mission," Kornmann said.
Emergency responders ultimately dug the trench away to recover the body when collapsing walls created a dangerous situation.
Police have not yet identified the man.