Retired MA Firefighter Saves Worker from 20-Foot Trench

June 4, 2020

While golfing a country club, retired Concord firefighter Peter Fulton used a heavy-duty industrial hose and waited for firefighters to arrive to pull up a construction worker who fell into a trench.

By Rob Fucci

Source Milford Daily News, Mass.

A retired Concord, MA, firefighter helped rescued a construction worker who fell into a trench at a country club Tuesday.

CONCORD, MA—A retired Concord firefighter helped rescue a town worker who fell approximately 20 feet into a trench during an inspection Tuesday at Concord Country Club.

According to Fire Chief Thomas Judge, Peter Fulton was golfing at the county club when the man fell. Fulton, who was a Concord firefighter for 35 years, ran over and called the Fire Department, giving detailed instructions for how to reach the portion of the sprawling golf course, using an access road, saving approximately 10 minutes of response time.

"He then lowered a heavy-duty industrial hose down to the victim and instructed him to tie it around his waist," Judge said in a statement. "Firefighter Fulton had the presence of mind to then wait for rescuers to arrive, being all too aware—thanks his years of training and experience—of the potential dangers of trench rescue."

After firefighters arrived, they set up a hoisting system, using multiple ground ladders, starting at one end of the trench, then lowered the system down to the victim and coached him to pull himself to safety.

The victim, 59, was transported to Lahey Hospital and Medical Center in Burlington with non-life-threatening injuries.

"A lot went right today, resulting in the safe extrication of the victim," Judge said. "This started with a veteran rescuer, trying to enjoy his well-earned retirement, called back to duty and not missing a beat and it ended with our rescue crews falling back on their training to ensure a safe rescue for the victim and the firefighters. I am very proud of everyone involved in today's rescue."

The Concord Country Club is on Old Road to 9 Acre Corner.

The Massachusetts Department of Labor, which has oversight over municipal worker safety, was notified of the incident.

A regional technical rescue team out of Massachusetts District 14 was dispatched but canceled before arrival. The Acton and Lincoln fire departments covered Concord during the incident.

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