St. George Man Declared Dead After Trench Collapse

A 54-year-old man is dead after he was buried in roughly two feet of soil in a man-made trench next to his home Wednesday afternoon in St. George. 

The incident began when the man’s wife noticed he hadn’t been in touch for a few hours, and she couldn’t find him outside of their home near 900 N. Grand Heights Drive. 

The man had been digging a trench next to their home with a borrowed excavator. The trench was 12 feet deep when the accident occurred.  

The wife contacted the St. George Fire Department and emergency responders arrived at the scene to extricate the man from the soil in an attempt to save his life. 

Fire crews borrowed equipment from the St. George Streets Division to reach the man, but they weren’t able to save him. 

The man was later declared dead as crews continued to unearth the body through the afternoon.  

The initial call for help was issued around 12:30 p.m. and the body of the man was recovered around 4 p.m. 

St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker told ABC4 Utah that this kind of incident isn’t unique to the area as many other residents try to dig trenches next to their homes without supervision.  

Stoker recommends contacting the St. George Fire Department for advice on how to proceed with such a project in a safe manner. 

The identity of the man has not been announced out of respect for his family and friends. 

We here at KDXU would like to offer our thoughts and prayers for the friends and family of the man during this time of mourning.