Injuries on construction sites are a common occurrence in California. A construction worker in Sacramento suffered a work injury and was rescued from a 40-foot deep dam recently. The worker was at a job site on the Sacramento River for the Davis-Woodland Water Intake project.
It was first thought that the worker was stuck in a well. However, when the rescue team arrived, they found that the man was, in fact, stuck in a coffer dam, which is a type of dam that enables workers to continue working beneath the waterline while holding back the river. Luckily, this meant that the rescue team would have a little more room to work.
The incident is still under investigation. However, according to firefighters, a piece of scaffolding might have fallen from the top of the dam, which hit the worker in the back. During their rescue efforts, the man was conscious, but he was having difficulty breathing on account of the injury. The firefighters utilized a large crane with which they lifted the victim out of the 40-foot hole. He was rushed to a local medical center and is in stable condition.
Luckily, the worker escaped with only moderate injuries. However, it is possible that he will remain out of work for a certain amount of time while he heals. While out of work, he may lose pay and will certainly incur medical bills. In California, when a worker suffers a work injury, he or she is entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim to help alleviate some of these financial setbacks. The individual often chooses to consult an experienced attorney who is experienced with workers’ compensation claims to help guide them through the sometimes complicated process.
Source: fox40.com, “Construction worker rescued outside Woodland“, Lonnie Wong, July 21, 2015