HOWELL — A worker who was nearly buried for hours in a trench came out of the incident unscathed, thanks to rescue efforts from multiple local agencies.

According to Howell police, a 26-year-old man was trapped in a hole on Carmine Way, surrounded by dirt up to his shoulders, after reportedly attempting to dig footing for a deck on the property.

Authorities were called to the scene at approximately 3:25 p.m. on Thursday. The first responding officers used construction debris from the scene to shield the man's face from any other dirt that may collapse around him.

First responders included Howell Police Sgt. Paul Mazzeo, who is a trench collapse and rescue specialist.

After approximately three hours, the victim was extricated from the collapse and was able to walk out of the incident without injury. He was assessed on scene by paramedics and transported to a local hospital as a precaution.

Two responders were treated for minor injuries related to the rescue.

Dino Flammia is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com

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