Wareham Firefighters Rescue Construction Worker Who Fell 20 Feet

WAREHAM, MA — Firefighters worked to rescue a construction worker who fell more than 20 feet below ground Tuesday morning.

The Wareham Fire Department responded to the Wareham Water Pollution Control Facility at 7:19 a.m. after receiving a report that a construction worker had fallen, Assistant Chief John Kelley said. The worker was contracted and not a town worker, he added.

Emergency crews were able to locate the worker, who was injured and more than 20 feet below ground in a construction pit area, fire officials say.

Firefighters worked with a tower ladder truck to assist in the rescue, securing the injured worker in a Stokes basket which then hoisted him up to ground level, Kelley said.

The rescue was completed by 8:11 a.m., but several crews remained on the scene to help investigate the incident.

A total of 21 Wareham Fire Department members were involved in the rescue either directly, or in handling headquarters for additional responses.

"This technical rescue is exactly what our department trains extensively for. I am very proud of the firefighters who operated so well in bitter cold temperatures to safely remove this person," Kelley said in a statement.

The injured construction worker suffered mostly head injuries, but also a leg injury, Kelley said, adding that he was immediately transported to the hospital after he was brought above ground.