Construction worker rescued from ditch after being trapped by shifting dirt

Man was pinned between pipe and ditch wall for nearly two hours

Mar 10, 2026 By CJ HADDAD 2 min read

Various local agencies work to free a construction worker who was pinned between a pipe and a ditch wall Monday at a site near the Lowes at Santa Barbara Boulevard and Veteran’s Parkway. CCFD officials said the man was taken to the hospital in serious condition after being trapped for just under two hours, and was conscious and alert throughout the event and when he was transported. CAPE CORAL FIRE DEPARTMENT IMAGE

A construction worker was rescued Monday after he was pinned between a pipe and a ditch wall Monday.

Cape Coral Fire Department firefighters received the call of an entrapped construction worker at a site near the Lowes at Santa Barbara Boulevard and Veteran’s Parkway at 1:30 p.m.

According to CCFD officials, the man was working on placing a large, concrete pipe 10 to 12 feet down in a trench when the dirt shifted and he was pinned between the pipe and the side of the trench.

“Firefighters along with members of USAR Task Force 6 worked to shore up the sides of the trench to prevent it from collapsing during rescue efforts,” said CCFD officials in a social media post. “Once the site was stabilized, Cape Coral Utilities used a vacuum truck to remove the dirt from around the victim, allowing rescuers to safely extricate him from the trench and into an awaiting Lee County Public Safety ambulance.”

CCFD officials said the man was taken to the hospital in serious condition after being trapped for just under two hours, and was conscious and alert throughout the event and when he was transported.

“Thank you to our partner agencies for their assistance in this complex and hazardous rescue,” CCFD’s post states. “We train together in order to be prepared for situations just like this and work diligently to have positive outcomes on the high risk, low frequency events.”

CCFD officials said agencies that assisted in the rescue included the South Trail Fire Protection & Rescue Service District, Estero Fire Rescue, North Fort Myers Fire Control District, Bonita Springs Fire Control and Rescue District, Iona McGregor Fire District, Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District, Tice Fire & Rescue District, North Collier Fire Rescue District, and Cape Coral Police Department.

CCFD did not have an update on the man’s condition as of Tuesday afternoon.

To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com