One Dies Following Industrial Accident In Edmond

Early Saturday morning, emergency crews in Edmond recovered the body of a man killed when a 20 foot trench collapsed. 

Emergency crews were on the scene for hours working the recovery mission. Edmond fire officials told News 9 it was an extremely difficult trench recovery due to several power and high pressure gas lines that slowed the process down.

The call came out around 4:20 p.m. Friday. Authorities told News 9 a man was working on a concrete sewer pipe on Sooner Rd., between E. 2nd St. and E. Danforth Rd., when dirt caved in around him. 

Several fellow workers dug feverishly trying to rescue the victim, 20 feet below the surface and trapped under at least six feet of dirt.

Edmond first responders were in recovery mode.

“We have what we believe is going to be one fatality in this,” said Edmond Deputy Fire Chief Chris Denton. “We have one person that is unaccounted for at this time.”

But there were a number of complications.

“It’s just off the roadway right in the utility easements, and so we’re having to deal with overhead power lines, we’re having to deal with water lines, high pressure gas lines, fiber optic cable lines,” continued Chief Denton.

Denton expressed they had to be extremely careful. Utility companies from across the metro were called out to help.

“We want to make sure we know what we have underneath this before we start digging. Our intent is to maintain safety of all the crews, all the personnel that we have working there from all of the entities,” said Chief Denton.

Edmond police said the body was recovered around 2:15 a.m. Saturday. The victim has been identified as 37-year-old Roberto Ochoa.

Police and fire investigators will continue to investigate the incident.

Keep checking with News 9 and News9.com for more information.