After spending several hours outside amid an excessive heat warning, firefighters rescued a man who fell into a trench in Los Feliz Thursday.
The adult man, who officials said was conscious and alert, became trapped inside the 8-foot ditch as he was stuck in soil up to his waist.
"We are proud to say that the patient has been rescued after an approximate six-hour delicate procedure and is now in the care of our LAFD medical professionals," Cpt. Erik Scott with the Los Angeles City Fire Department announced on social media.
Officials were initially concerned that the man may suffer from crash injuries from the pressure of being stuck in a compacted space.
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It’s not clear how the man fell into the trench, but he was doing construction work at a hillside home, officials said.
As the rescue operation was underway, the temperature in the Los Feliz area reached well over 100 degrees, creating challenges for crews who had to hike up the hillside with heavy equipment and protective gear.
"It's very hot. Very arduous work," Scott explained. "We called for waves of additional firefighters to where some of them you see might look like they're resting. That's because they are exactly resting, so we could rotate crews of qualified members in and out to continually work."
Newschopper4 was overhead as the rescue operation was underway next to what appears to be a construction site to build a pool.
Responding firefighters and paramedics had to stabilize the trench walls before trying to pull the man out of the ditch, the LAFD said.
The fire department had its medical director, two nurse practitioners as well as paramedics on the scene so they could treat the worker as soon as he was rescued.
