Worker Hurt When Trench Collapses
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ORANGE COUNTY — A laborer suffered a fractured rib and pelvis Monday when a trench he was digging collapsed at a construction site near Portola Hills, sending colleagues scrambling to unearth him using their hands and shovels, authorities said.
Joel Hinahosa, 30, was buried up to his torso in the 7-foot-deep trench for at least 10 minutes, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Scott Brown.
Paramedics arrived at the site just off Santiago Canyon and Modjeska Grade roads at 9:22 a.m., just as co-workers were lifting Hinahosa free, Brown said.
The injured worker was airlifted to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, where he remained in fair condition, said hospital spokeswoman Karen Prestia.
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