HOWELL – Quick thinking officers rescued a man who had fallen into a hole and became trapped as dirt started filling in.
Police said that at around 3:30 p.m. on June 30, the man fell into a 10-foot hole on Carmine Way. Dirt was filling in up to his shoulders. Officers used construction debris nearby to create a shield to keep the dirt from covering his head and face.
Howell Police EMS EMT Valerie Deano was able to speak Spanish to the 26-year-old man and translate what officers were saying. Howell Police Sgt. Paul Mazzeo, a trench collapse and rescue specialist with Brick Twp. Technical Rescue and New Jersey Task Force 1 arrived, and requested a trench rescue unit from the Asbury Park Fire Department.
After three hours, the victim was fully freed without injury. He was treated on scene and brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center as a precaution. Two of the rescuers were treated at the scene for minor injuries.
The site will be investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The following agencies responded: Howell Police, Howell Police EMS, Howell Township First Aid Squad, Freewood Acres Fire Department, Southard Fire Department, Howell Public Works, Monmouth Public Works, Howell Emergency Management, Brick Technical Rescue and Atlantic Health Paramedics.
