By T.W. Farnam
Newsday
Copyright 2007 Newsday, Inc.
NEW YORK — A construction worker was killed Friday after an 8-foot-deep trench he was digging beside a church school in Brooklyn collapsed on top of him, firefighters said.
There were no permits for the construction and the trench had no shoring or bracing, which is required for holes deeper than 5 feet, said a Department of Buildings official at the scene.
Police Friday night identified the victim as Juan Amendano, 30, of Brooklyn.
The victim, who worked for the Starpak Construction Co. was digging by himself as two other employees, including his brother, worked nearby, said Fire Department Deputy Chief William Tanzosh.
"They didn't see it happen," said David Offitto, 38, an off-duty firefighter who lives across the street and assisted the rescue before other firefighters arrived at the Bethany Lutheran Church and the Leif Ericson Day School in Dyker Heights. "They looked back and it was filled in. They weren't sure if he was in there."
The principal of the school declined to comment and Starpak Construction, which was hired to apply water sealant to the school's basement, did not return a phone call Friday evening.
"The depth of the soil was far too deep for us to reach him in a reasonable amount of time," Tanzosh said, adding that firefighters arrived within 5 minutes of the 2:40 p.m. call but took 50 minutes to reach the deceased, moving 67 yards of soil with the assistance of two vacuum trucks typically used to suck debris and water from manholes.
The man had no vital signs when one of the city's five rescue medics entered the trench that stood between a hedge and the west side of the school, which had just let out, said EMS Division Chief James Booth.
"It was major havoc because all the mothers were picking up their kids," said John Treglio, 32, a truck driver who was delivering roofing materials to Offitto just before both ran to assist the rescue.
"Me and him went over there and tried to help out," Treglio said. "We were both scraping and looking for anything."
