A construction worker was killed and two others hospitalized after a trench collapsed Tuesday morning in Yarmouth, Massachusetts—an event that triggered a massive, hours-long rescue operation and renewed concerns over excavation safety along Cape Cod. One of the workers remained trapped for close to five hours before crews were finally able to reach him.
The collapse occurred around 8:30 a.m. in front of Skipper Chowder House on South Shore Drive, where crews were performing sewer construction work as part of a long-term infrastructure upgrade. The project, which has been under way for two years, is designed to transition local properties from septic systems to municipal sewer service.
Rescue workers were able to recover the man who died around 2:45 p.m. after more than six hours of nonstop work at a scene that responders described as increasingly unstable and hazardous.
Yarmouth Fire Chief Enrique Arrascue said the operation was extremely difficult from the outset, explaining that the trench continued to shift as crews attempted to reach the buried worker. He described the response as a “very complicated” rescue effort.
A third worker, who was not originally trapped, jumped into the collapsing trench in an attempt to help his co-workers. Fire officials said he “heroically jumped in” before the trench continued to destabilize around him. He managed to free himself and was taken by ambulance to a local hospital.
Rescuers ultimately freed the partially buried worker at about 1:20 p.m. He was flown to a trauma center in Rhode Island after being trapped up to his waist in dirt and debris. Witnesses described the scene as tense, emotional, and chaotic as dozens of firefighters, police, technical rescue teams, and neighboring departments arrived to stabilize the trench and cut through packed earth.
One emotional moment captured community attention as an injured worker—being moved toward an ambulance—asked for his girlfriend. She shouted back from the crowd, “I’m here!”
A nearby resident said she heard cries for help early Tuesday morning. Watching from her home, she saw workers running from one section of the jobsite to another. “I noticed that some of the construction crew working on the other side of the street had ran over to the other hole that they were digging,” she told WBZ-TV. As the rescue escalated, the power and water to her building were shut off. She added that more teams continued to arrive: “Additional crews, additional towns started to show up. Search and rescue started to show up.”
She also said the workers are a familiar presence in the neighborhood. “We see them all day. We watch them eat lunch. We watch them hang out together… so it’s just kind of holding your breath, hoping everybody’s okay,” she said.
In the aftermath of the collapse, the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) called for a deeper investigation into the excavation contractor, Revoli Construction. The organization pointed to previous safety issues, citing what it described as a “troubling history of significant health and safety records,” including a 2005 case in Gloucester where workers were found inside an unprotected 14-foot trench. MassCOSH also noted a 2006 incident where a Revoli truck struck a power line, injuring a police officer.
For the Gloucester case, MassCOSH reported: “Revoli Construction was cited for 12 alleged willful and serious violations, with proposed fines totaling $115,900, including $98,000 for two willful citations and $17,900 for ten serious violations.”
OSHA records between 2015 and 2025 list six inspection reports for the company. In two of those cases, the agency found serious violations and issued penalties—both later reduced and settled after negotiations. Revoli Construction has not responded to requests for comment.
Town records show that Yarmouth awarded an $18 million contract to the company in 2023 for the wastewater collection and recovery project currently underway, which includes the location of Tuesday’s collapse.
The Town of Yarmouth publicly addressed the tragedy in a statement Tuesday evening, expressing shock and sorrow at the loss. “The Town of Yarmouth is heartbroken by today's tragic trench collapse on South Shore Drive. One life was lost, and two others were rescued. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the man who passed, and our thoughts are with those recovering from this devastating event,” the town said.
Officials also praised the emergency responders who worked through worsening conditions to save lives: “We offer our sincere gratitude to the Yarmouth Fire and Police Departments, the Barnstable County Technical Rescue Team, and all our regional partners who responded with extraordinary courage and care. We ask our community to keep all those affected in their hearts during this difficult time.”
Trench collapses remain one of the most lethal hazards in construction work, with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration repeatedly warning contractors about the risks of unprotected or improperly secured excavations. A single cubic yard of soil can weigh more than 3,000 pounds—equivalent to a small car—making trench failures almost always catastrophic.
Tuesday’s collapse, occurring on a long-running infrastructure job in a densely populated area, is expected to prompt renewed calls for stricter enforcement and oversight across Massachusetts, particularly for contractors with previous safety violations.
An OSHA investigation is now underway.
Originally reported by Louisa Moller, Neal Riley in CBS News.
