Man, 21, killed in trench collapse at Noblesville construction site
Jake AllenNOBLESVILLE, Ind. — A 21-year-old man is dead after he was caught in a collapsed trench at a Noblesville construction site Monday morning, according to officials.
Rescue crews from the Noblesville Fire Department were dispatched around 9:45 a.m. to the site in the 14600 block of Umber Avenue. They found the man buried up to his shoulders, and he was unresponsive, said division chief Trevor Hash.
The man was installing a water line when the trench, which was about 8 feet deep and 4 feet wide, collapsed, Hash said.
It took about two hours for rescuers to remove the man from the trench. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Hamilton County Coroner’s Office identified the man as Shawn Young of Elwood.
The coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine Young’s cause and manner of death. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate what caused the trench to collapse, Hash said.
From 2022:Man who fell into trench at construction site in Shelby County identified by coroner's office
Construction work in trenches can be dangerous, and trench rescues can be dangerous as well, the fire official said.
“The big fear is a secondary collapse entrapping the rescuers, so it takes time to shore up the walls during a rescue,” Hash said. "Trenches are very, very dangerous."
In 2022, a construction worker died after falling into a trench on a construction site in Shelby County and becoming trapped underground.
Also in 2022, a construction worker survived after he was trapped in a trench on the east side of Indianapolis.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.