HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Emergency crews executed a technical trench rescue on Wednesday morning to save an individual who fell approximately nine feet into a pit beside a basement wall in south Hutchinson.
The Hutchinson Fire Department was dispatched at 11:24 a.m. on Aug. 20 to the 3100 block of South Mohawk. What was initially reported as a simple citizen assist following a fall was quickly upgraded while units were en route, with dispatchers warning responding crews that the victim had fallen deep into an open trench.
Upon arrival, the first unit spotted the individual lying at the bottom of the nine-foot trench. Firefighters immediately placed a ladder inside to gain access and begin an initial patient assessment, but paused physical entry after determining the excavation site was unstable. Emergency personnel maintained visual and voice contact with the fallen individual while waiting for specialized equipment to secure the scene.
Members of the department’s rescue team arrived shortly after and stabilized the trench sides using protective trench panels. Once the area was deemed safe, rescue personnel entered the trench to administer medical treatment for injuries sustained in the fall.
Firefighters secured the patient and used a rope system to haul the individual to the surface.
The victim was handed over to Reno County EMS for transport. The Hutchinson Fire Department has not released details regarding the individual’s identity, current medical condition, or the specific hospital to which they were taken.
