Construction worker dies in accident at construction site in Scripps Ranch

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A construction worker died in an accident at a drinking water pipeline construction site in Scripps Ranch Wednesday morning after he was crushed by dirt and a pipe at the bottom of a trench, officials said.

According to San Diego Fire Department officials, rescue crews were called to a water main construction site in the 11200 block of Hoyt Park Drive, near Scripps Ranch Boulevard, around 4 a.m. in what was known as a trench rescue.

SDFD officials said they were notified that a worker was lying about 20 feet down in a trench covered in dirt and a concrete pipe. A fellow worker who was also in the trench at the time was able to get free.

Tommy Charpentier, battalion chief and operations manager at San Diego Fire-Rescue, said: ​“From what I understand, the incident happened because the debris was blown off and created a tremendous amount of weight and material that pushed the pipe down on the victim. From what I understand, they were in the process of installing the pipe when the accident happened.”

Rescue workers arrived shortly afterwards, but paramedics confirmed the worker’s death at around 4:45 a.m. Officials believe that an unstable foundation caused the 1.20-meter-wide pipe to fall on the worker.

ABC 10News saw the fire department’s technical rescue team lower a member down to retrieve the deceased worker from under the pipe after vacuuming the dirt from the trench using a special truck from the City of San Diego’s sewage department.

The construction workers present on site were visibly shocked by the sudden loss of their colleague and the rescue teams were also affected by the worker’s death.

“It’s difficult when we’re making the transition from rescue to recovery and interacting with colleagues here. And the city’s employees and contractors knew the victim and were here when he died in the accident,” Charpentier said.

Cal/OSHA officials were en route to the scene of the accident to conduct an investigation.