Two Workers Tragically Killed in a Pit Collapse in Long Island, New York

OLD BROOKFIELD, Nassau County, New York — Two construction workers died on the job Tuesday when they were buried by sand and debris when an excavation site collapsed. The workers aged 45 and 57 respectively, were buried in at least five feet of debris after the site became compromised. Police said that the construction accident occurred in the Upper Brookfield area on the 1200 block of Wolver Hollow Road, in the vicinity of the intersection with Pine Valley Road according to the Daily Voice. Nassau County Police and other emergency response agencies responded to help rescue, then sadly, recover the two men who perished in the accident. The specific cause of the incident is not known at this time.

Old Brookfield Police said they received a 911 call around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday reporting an accident at an excavation site. Officers said that the two workers were positioned at the bottom of the site. The two men were installing rings for the septic system at that location. Initial reports from the scene indicate that the two men were as deep as 25 to 30 feet below the surface. Without warning, a portion of the dirt and sand wall weakened and collapsed. Witnesses say that both men were buried by about five feet of earth and construction material.

Nassau County Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit arrived to assist. The 45-year-old man was removed from the pit. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene. Responders continued to dig for the buried man but had to stop their efforts when the wall became unsafe again. Officials resumed their work to recover the second man’s body after they stabilized the wall.

The investigation into the deadly construction accident continues. Old Brookfield Police, Nassau County Police, Nassau County Police fire marshals and crews from eight fire departments also joined the rescue mission and investigation.

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