Shortly after 3:00 p.m. on December 15, 2004, the Trench Rescue Teams from the Allen, Texas and Coppell, Texas Fire Departments were dispatched to a trench rescue in the neighboring community of Melissa, Texas.
The Trench Teams arrive to find an 8 foot wide, 26 foot long and 28 foot deep trench with one worker reportedly trapped by large boulders that were created when the side of the trench collapsed.
Rescuers removed the spoil piles, inserted a trench box, and entered the trench to removed debris.
After 13 hours of battling near freezing temperatures and rising groundwater, the victim was located pinned beneath a boulder. Rescuers had removed approximately 12 feet of debris from on top of the victim. An additional four hours were necessary to remove the final boulder pinning the victim
