San Mateo trench collapse

A construction worker in his 30s was hospitalized in critical condition after being buried in a trench collapse in San Mateo on Thursday morning. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. while the man was working on a sewer line at a private residence on West 41st Avenue, where he was trapped under approximately 10 feet of dirt. Rescue crews took nearly an hour to extract him, complicated by the need to stabilize the trench and adverse weather conditions that prevented an airlift. The worker was eventually transported to the hospital via ambulance. Cal/OSHA is investigating the cause of the collapse, which echoes similar incidents in the region. The area was closed to traffic during the rescue but has since reopened.