The Baltimore City Fire Department Wednesday afternoon say the construction worker who died after more than 10 hours buried in a pile of dirt and debris, has been identified as 19-year old Kyle Hancock of Glen Burnie. Baltimore City Fire Department spokeswoman Blair Skinner talked with WEAA's Julius White about the tragedy at Clifton Park.
Officials say Hancock's employer has been identified as R.F. Warder, Inc. The company was working on a sewer line repair when Hancock became trapped. Firefighters and work crews from several jurisdictions worked for more than 10 hours--even through heavy wind and rain Tuesday afternoon to get to the construction worker who fell into a trench that was some 15 feet deep.
When the fire department arrived on the scene at about 3:30 p.m., construction workers were attempting to dig their colleague out of the collapse.
“From what we were told by the other construction workers, the 19-year-old was inside of the hole working on a sewage line when dirt and debris fell on top of him,” said Chief Niles R. Ford.
The trench rescue took nearly 12 hours to conclude. Prior to sending members inside the hole to start recovery efforts, the Special Operations Command unit built a protective barrier to secure the area and set up parameters. Shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, June 6 the construction worker was recovered and rescue operations ceased. "
“It was a long night, it was a very long night,” said Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. “[It was] about 1:30 in the morning when they finally discovered this young man. It was around 4 a.m. when they finally retrieved him.” At her weekly news conference Wednesday morning, Pugh said about 30 minutes before then that most of the family members had decided that they did not want to see [his body]. “I think his aunt stayed until the complete end—I know his father was there as well. “I left at 4 a.m.,” said Pugh. The mayor thanked the first responders the city’s department of public works for their tireless in efforts in searching for and recovering Hancock’s body. The State of Maryland is now investigating the circumstances that led to Tuesday’s tragic episode.