Photo by Whitehorse Star
Buried In Trench
Two men were buried in a trench yesterday afternoon at the vocational school site when an earth and gravel wall collapsed on them.
The Whitehorse Star, Thursday, April 12, 1962
BURIED IN TRENCH
Two men were buried in a trench yesterday afternoon at the vocational school site when an earth and gravel wall collapsed on them. Most seriously injured was Ronald Burnett of Whitehorse who received a broken leg and a broken pelvis. Vernon Ekland received also a broken pelvis.
When the wall came down, the two men were working close together in the trench being dug to accommodate sewer and water pipes. They were completely covered by the slide but, fortunately, Bennett and White Superintendent Nelson Ford knew their exact location and, when the rescue effort began, he could pinpoint their location and dug them out.
The trench at the point of collapse was approximately 14 feet deep. About the first five feet were frozen ground but beneath that the gravel was loose.
Both city fire departments rushed to the scene and also workmen from other parts of the city were called to assist.
It was Ekland's second trip to the hospital in three weeks. He was just released after a broken ankle healed.
Add your comments or reply via Twitter @whitehorsestar
In order to encourage thoughtful and responsible discussion, website comments will not be visible until a moderator approves them. Please add comments judiciously and refrain from maligning any individual or institution. Read about our user comment and privacy policies.
Your name and email address are required before your comment is posted. Otherwise, your comment will not be posted.
Be the first to comment