Ground collapses, trapping NJ man in a 4-hour ordeal

⛑ A man was partially buried in a trench in Bridgewater

⛑ It took emergency responders four hours to safely free him

⛑ He was airlifted to a hospital for treatment

BRIDGEWATER — A man trapped in a trench that collapsed at a home in this Somerset County township was safely rescued by first responders and co-workers on Wednesday morning.

Bridgewater Township police responded to 12 Cushing Drive at 11:45 a.m.

Jose Ascecion, 33, of New Brunswick, was partially buried in a 3-foot-wide by 8-foot-deep trench. He was trapped from the waist down but alert and conscious.

It's not clear what the circumstances were that led to the entrapment.

It took emergency personnel four hours to free Ascecion. They quickly stabilized the scene by installing trench shoring to prevent further collapse. Due to the confined space and risk of additional entrapment, rescuers had to use hand tools to carefully dig around the victim--a time-consuming and delicate process, police said.

Once Ascecion was freed, he was taken to a designated landing zone at Crim Park, where he was airlifted by Northstar to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick for evaluation and treatment.

His condition is unknown.

The Bridgewater Township Police Department commended all responding agencies for their swift and coordinated actions, which led to a successful and safe rescue under challenging conditions.

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