Los Feliz construction worker trapped in trench rescued

A construction worker trapped in a trench behind a hillside home Thursday in the Los Feliz area was successfully rescued after a laborious effort by fire crews who worked for nearly six hours to free him.

Firefighters were sent to the 2300 block of North Catalina Street about 10:50 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

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"The adult male worker ... remains conscious and alert, trapped by soil up to a point at or above his waist, in an 8-foot-deep trench immediately adjacent to a load-bearing wall of the adjacent hillside residence," the LAFD said in a statement late Thursday morning.

Firefighters and paramedics stabilized the trench walls, but the effort extended for several hours and crews carried heavy rescue equipment to the remote site.

The rescue operation continued until around 4:54 p.m., when firefighters removed the man from the trench and took him to a hospital in serious condition.

According to the LAFD, two firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, with one later taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

No other injuries were reported.

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