Construction Worker Killed in Trench Identified

The when an 8-foot-deep trench collapsed and buried him at a Beverly Hills construction site was identified Friday.

The collapse was reported shortly after 3:30 p.m. Thursday at a home at 1265 North Benedict Canyon Drive. Bayron Lopez-Orozco, 23, of Los Angeles, died at the scene, said coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter.

Firefighters first thought the estate was in Los Angeles, but after the rescue operation became a recovery operation, it was learned it was in Beverly Hills, Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department said. The LAFD and Beverly Hills Fire Department worked side by side, which normally is the case with fire departments working an emergency together.

"When we arrived, you could see the man's fingertips over his head. Despite the rapid response, the man was sadly declared beyond our help," Humphrey said.

What happened was not witnessed, but it had been at least 20 minutes since anyone had seen Lopez-Orozco alive, meaning he could have been buried that long. 

"Firefighter paramedics were dispatched but determined that the man had been underground for more than 20 minutes and began the process of recovering the body," according to a statement released Thursday by the city of Beverly Hills.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation.

This report was compiled with information from City News Service.

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