Firefighters rescue man trapped in sand and clay after trench collapse

Firefighters rescued a construction worker who was trapped up to his waist in sand and clay after a trench collapsed on him yesterday afternoon.

The trench, in a construction site in Bramshot Avenue, Charlton, was 12m long and 4m deep. A spokesman from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) said they did not know what the site was being used for at the time of collapse.

The LFB dispatched Five Fire Rescue Units after they were called to the collapse at around 12.30pm. 

Throughout the incident firefighters worked closely with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) Hazardous Area Response Team, which coordinated medical care crews who got the man out by carefully removing sand and clay from the trench.

At the same time firefighters stabilised the trench to prevent any further collapse.

An air ambulance was also dispatched to the scene.

The incident was over for crews by around 6.45pm but, once the man was removed from the trench, he was taken to hospital by paramedics.

A spokeswoman for the LAS said: “Our first paramedic arrived on scene in five minutes. We treated a patient at the scene before taking them to hospital.”

A spokesman from the LFB said responsibility for the scene has been handed over to the Met and the health and safety executive.

Pictured top: Firefighters and the London Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Team rescuing the man in the trench (Picture: LFB)