MANHATTAN, N.Y. — A construction worker was critically injured and rescued from a 60-foot-deep excavation in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards neighborhood on Monday morning, according to the New York City Fire Department.

The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. at a jobsite located at 605 West 30th Street, where the worker reportedly fell into a deep hole after being struck by a piece of construction machinery.

Fire officials said the man was injured when a machine “blew off the wall” and clipped his head, causing him to plunge into the partially flooded pit.

“We were walking on bedrock or granite, and the other half was two feet of mud that you would sink right up to your knees in,” said FDNY Rescue 1 Lt. John McCann. “Accessing the worker was a little tricky. We resorted to using ropes, which seemed to be the most efficient way of getting him out … It was about a 60-foot-deep excavation.”

The FDNY’s Rescue Company 1, known for its technical rescues and confined space training, had just conducted drills at the same site last week, McCann noted. That preparedness, he said, made a difference in the complex response.

Firefighters deployed a rope rescue system to safely lower themselves into the pit and hoist the injured worker out. Once extracted, he was immediately transported to a hospital in critical condition, according to FDNY officials.

The man’s identity has not been released, and the extent of his injuries remains unclear.

The incident shines a light on the inherent risks of excavation work, particularly in high-density urban developments like Hudson Yards, where deep foundation work and vertical construction often require laborers to operate in confined and hazardous environments.

While the cause of the machinery malfunction is still under investigation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and city building officials are expected to review the site conditions and equipment involved.

The jobsite, part of the ongoing west side development boom, sits within one of the most rapidly evolving construction zones in Manhattan. Such zones often require enhanced safety protocols due to the complexity of high-rise foundations, utility infrastructure, and heavy machinery use.

Lt. McCann emphasized the value of ongoing training and site familiarity in such rescues: “Having been there just last week for drills definitely gave us an edge. The terrain was tough, but the team responded quickly and professionally.”

This rescue is the latest example of the FDNY’s elite technical rescue capabilities, often deployed during trench collapses, crane accidents, and underground emergencies across the city.

Originally reported by Brad Matthews in Washington Times.