Body of worker recovered from trench collapse in Kansas City, Kansas
The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department recovered the body of a man who was killed when a trench collapsed Thursday afternoon.
A fiber optic installation worker fell into a collapsed trench, according to a news release from Assistant Chief of Training and Public Information Officer Scott Schaunaman.
Crews worked through the night to locate the man. He was found around 11:45 p.m. and pronounced dead at the scene.
The Kansas City Kansas Police Department is investigating the incident, Schaunaman said.
Firefighters were dispatched around 2:15 p.m. to the area of 16th Street and Metropolitan Avenue near a set of railroad tracks.
An initial report indicated that a man working an excavator on a fiber optic installation project had not been seen for “some time,” Schaunaman said. The man’s coworkers became concerned when they noticed his equipment wasn’t moving.
After checking the site, workers noticed that the trench the man had been working on had collapsed, Schaunaman said. A hand shovel was located nearby and the excavator operator was nowhere to be seen.
As of Friday morning, officials have not yet said which company the man worked for.
Trench is located ‘in uneven terrain’
Schaunaman said the trench is located “in uneven terrain and is estimated to be approximately 16 to 18 feet wide and up to 25 feet deep at its deepest point.”
Specialized heavy rescue teams trained in trench rescue with the KCKFD responded to the scene with public works and emergency management, Schaunaman said.
During the search, crews dug around the trench and brought in additional equipment to prevent the trench from further collapsing.
Crews were concerned about weather conditions that could create instability at the site, complicating the operation, Schaunaman said.
After hours of searching, they found the missing worker’s body.
“The KCKFD extends our deepest sympathies to the victim’s family and coworkers,” the fire department said in a news release.
This story was originally published July 24, 2025 at 6:23 PM.
