Two nearly crushed by excavator bucket

Two men were rescued from a trench on Curry Street after a bucket fell off an excavator and nearly crushed them.

Andy Burnham, Carson City public works director, said a crew from A&K Construction was working on a storm drain line when the bucket came off the excavator and fell into the trench where the two men were working about 10 a.m.

The bucket rolled, but didn't land on top of them, Burnham said.

Carson City Fire Battalion Chief Dan Shirey said because the sides of the 7-foot-deep trench were not secured, fire crews and members of the Public Works Department spent 40 minutes shoring up the sides before a firefighter could descend into the trench.

"That's something that will have to be looked at," said Burnham about the lack of reinforcement on the trench sides. "It took longer for our firemen to get in because they had to secure it."

Burnham said in recent months, Public Works and the Carson City Fire Department had been training in trench rescue.

"It came in handy today," he said.

Just six months ago, the city approved money to purchase "shoring equipment," he said.

The two men, whose names were not released, were each taken from the scene by helicopter to Renown Regional Medical Center. One was treated and released, while the other remained at the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The incident stopped traffic from Betts Way to Wialaki Street for more than an hour.

Burnham said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration would be investigating the incident.

"Luckily," said Burnham. "No one was horribly injured."