Oakland rescue crew attempts to extract Hayward man trapped in trench

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Oakland fire crews are working to rescue a man who is trapped in a 10-foot sewer line in Oakland. Officials say an independent contractor was working on a sewer line when the trench collapsed on him.  It happened around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday at 23rd Street and 21st Avenue. 

Rescue crews are trying to shore up the trench to get him out safely, but say it is a "long process." 

An earlier version of this post said the man was 50 years old, and that he appeared to be "doing ok" at that point. However, he was later identified as 41-year-old Rogelio Esparza of Hayward.

By nightfall crews had overhead lights as they continued to work on pulling the man from the trench using various tools and strategies.

Around 10:30 p.m., Esparza was said to be doing fine, is talking and has stable vital signs. He didn’t appear to be injured and wasn’t in need of any pain medication. Crews had placed heaters at the top of the trench to keep Esparza warm during the ordeal.

Esparza was part of a four-person plumbing crew digging beneath the sidewalk to work on a broken sewer line. The crew apparently didn’t shore up the sides of the trench strongly enough when sandy soil collapsed on two of the workers.

KTVU’s Debora Villalon reported only Esparza’s head and shoulders were sticking out from the soil when he was buried. As of 10:30 p.m. he was buried to about his hips. The top of his head was measured at about 8-feet deep in the hole, according to Oakland Fire Department Deputy Chief Mark Hoffman. The soft soil and clay has continually caved in on itself as the rescue crews have attempted many methods in the hours-long process.

Crews used makeshift, plywood walls and vacuums to suck the material out of the hole as Esparza waits. Hoffman said the bottom of the hole has been more problematic as the trench collapses onto itself. The entire hole is about 15-feet deep.

The threat of rain was another concern for the crew that hoped to wrap up the rescue before the night’s end.

Stay with KTVU.com for updates on this developing story.