Name released of man rescued from trench in Lawton; in serious condition

BY MICHAEL KIMBALL AND BRIAN SARGENT - Staff Writers

Published: November 19, 2008

LAWTON — A 29-year-old man who was freed early this morning after 14 hours in a collapsed trench is in serious condition, hospital officials said.

Lawton firefighters, left, drive stakes into the ground as efforts are made Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 to shore up a collapsed ditch that trapped a man in southwest Lawton, Okla. A fellow construction worker, at right, tries to talk to the man. Emergency crews rescued the 29-year-old man at about 2 a.m. Wednesday after more than 14 hours in the trench. He was flown to OU Medical Center in Oklahoma City. AP Photo

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Alex Cabrera was reportedly conscious and talking with paramedics when he was freed from the trench, and flown to OU Medical Center. Hospital officials said neither Cabrera nor his family are giving media interviews.

“He was responsive and his spirits were good,” Comanche County spokesman Chris Killmer wrote in a news release after Cabrera was freed.

Cabrera was trapped about 9 feet below ground level. Crews worked until about 7 p.m. to stabilize the trench at SW 82 and Lee Boulevard.

Killmer said the rescue took longer than he initially expected because one of Cabrera’s legs was pinned. Lawton firefighters, who responded first to the scene, were able to remove some dirt and debris near the man to alleviate pressure on his body, making it easier for him to breathe, Killmer said.

Crews lowered a radio to Cabrera so he could speak to relatives at the scene. Paramedics administered fluids intravenously, Killmer said.

Two Oklahoma City fire deputy chiefs from a special operations unit flew on an Oklahoma City police helicopter to assist Lawton-area authorities, Killmer said.

No rescue workers were injured.

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