First-responders faced toxic gas, little oxygen recovering bodies from Edwardsville manhole
It took first-responders about 1 hour and 35 minutes to recover the bodies of two construction workers who died in a manhole with “very little oxygen” and a “buildup of toxic gases” at an Edwardsville home development site, according to a statement from the city.
Edwardsville police officers and firefighters responded to the scene in the 100 block of East Union Street around 6:55 p.m. Friday after receiving a 911 call about a person in need of rescue from the manhole, the city stated. The site is the location of the new Pfarm home development by Pfund Construction.
The bodies were eventually recovered at about 8:30 p.m. Friday, according to the statement.
As of mid-Sunday afternoon, officials had not released the names of the construction workers. A representative from the Edwardsville Police Department confirmed this, while a call to the Madison County coroner on Sunday was not immediately returned.
Officials believe the workers entered the manhole sometime in the late afternoon Friday.
Eighteen fire personnel were involved in the rescue attempt, including 13 members of a technical rescue team, Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said in the statement. The men were unresponsive, and the operation shifted to a recovery effort when first-responders determined they had died.
Recovering their bodies required advanced breathing equipment, Whiteford added.
An Edwardsville police officer who was among the first to arrive was taken to a hospital for evaluation of non-life-threatening injuries on Friday night. Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback told Fox2Now the low oxygen level in the underground area could have potentially caused the officer’s injuries.
The officer has since been released from the hospital.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident.
This story was originally published August 20, 2022 at 5:06 PM.
