One man is alive and another is dead after a deep trench collapsed Sunday in Addison Township.
Buried in approximately 4 feet of dirt, Enio Iafrate, 42, of St. Clair Shores, was saved by Addison firefighters and members of the North Oakland Technical Rescue Team.
Unfortunately, his co-worker, 41-year-old Jeffrey Padot, of Eastpointe, died before rescue personnel arrived.
The accident occurred around 11:20 a.m. at 5700 Rochester Road, north of Gerst Road, while the men were installing a ‘feeder line? to a septic field for a new house under constuction, according to Oakland County Sheriff’s Sgt. Pete Burkett, commander of the Addison substation.
Ironically, Addison firefighters were at that same location on March 26 conducting a practice burn using the home that used to sit there.
Employed by Maco Concrete in St. Clair Shores, the men were working in the trench, which was at least 6 feet or more deep, while ‘the company owner was operating the back hoe, digging into the trench,? according to Burkett.
‘While they were down there, they noticed one of the walls started caving in, collapsing,? the sergeant said. ‘They turned and started to run the other way when that side suddenly collapsed. The guy (Padot) that was in front turned around and they ran into each other.?
‘It did not appear there were any safety measures in place to prevent a collapse,? according to Burkett.
Officials from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident.
‘We’re looking at it to see if it was an unsafe trench,? said Patty Meyer, acting safety manager for the construction safety and health division of MIOSHA.
When a trench is more than 5 feet, Meyer said that’s the ‘trigger mark? where the regulations state ‘shoring or proper sloping? is required to prevent a collapse.
In the Addison incident, Meyer said, ‘It doesn’t appear that there was any shoring or trench boxes in it . . . It looked like it was just a trench nothing else in it.?
‘That’s how it appears, but it would be speculation at this point,? Meyer said.
As for Maco Concrete, Meyer said, ‘They have no history at all (neither violations nor inspections) with us.?
When firefighters arrived on scene, Addison Fire Chief George Spencer said Padot was ‘completely covered (by dirt) and had already succumb to his injuries.?
‘He was buried over his head,? the chief said. ‘Just the top of his head and one shoulder were exposed.?
Padot was pronounced dead at the scene.
Burkett said the Oakland County Medical Examiner later ruled it an accidental death, the cause being ‘compressional asphyxia.?
‘He was crushed,? the sergeant said.
Iafrate, however, was ‘still conscious and talking,? and ‘trapped in about 4 feet of dirt? when firefighters arrived, according to Spencer.
Initially, Iafrate was buried to his chest, but co-workers jumped in the trench and removed some of the dirt prior to firefighters? arrival, leaving him buried to up to his mid-abdomen, the chief explained.
To free Iafrate, the North Oakland Techincal Rescue Team was activated. Approximately 40 firefighters from nine other departments arrived on scene to help with their trench rescue equipment and techincal expertise.
After securing and shoring up the trench, firefighters were able to extricate Iafrate at 1:28 p.m. An Addison ambulance transported him in ‘stable condition? to William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak with ‘minor injuries,? Spencer said.
Padot was recovered from the trench at 3:48 p.m.
Spencer said the trench collapse proved the value of the North Oakland Technical Rescue Team, part of the North Oakland Mutual Aid Association which consists of 15 fire departments including Addison.
Each member department has some special equipment and specially trained personnel it contributes to the team to handle specific types of technical rescue situations ? trench, confined space, rope (or high angle) and structual collapse. When needed at a scene, the team can be called by Oakland County dispatch.
Spencer said his firefighters alone could have freed Iafrate ‘but not as expeditiously and certainly not as safe? as techincal rescue team.
He said the team brings ‘so many years of expertise on these very technical, very complicated rescue techiniques that a single department alone can’t supply it.?
‘You just can’t,? said Spencer, noting this is what the $3,000 in annual dues Addison pays to the North Oakland Mutual Aid Association is for. ‘Our dues were paid off in spades yesterday to get the expertise we had out here.?
Fire departments would responded Sunday included Oakland Township, City of Rochester, Pontiac, Independence Township, Rochester Hills, Auburn Hills, Waterford, White Lake Township and Brandon Township. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Dept. also assisted in the rescue.