Construction worker killed after he's buried alive in horror accident on site
A construction worker was shockingly buried alive under six feet of earth after a trench at his workplace suddenly collapsed, sparking a 13-hour recovery effort.
Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr, known as Ronnie, died on Monday while working on a site in Goodyear, Arizona, after becoming trapped beneath a heavy mass of shifting dirt. Crews rushed to free the 44-year-old, but conditions quickly became too unstable, and within half an hour, the rescue mission turned into a recovery. 'Ronnie was a loving father and a loyal friend - brutally honest, endlessly caring, and unforgettable,' his childhood friend Nate Costly wrote in a tribute posted on Facebook.
READ MORE: Dad dies in scalding hot bath as family slam hotel management for 'ignoring warnings'
A vigil held on Friday saw mourners gather near the site, where gospel singer Shatera Williams described Baquera as a 'fixer' - someone who would 'fix things with laughter or his hands.' It comes after a doctor was decapitated by lift in a hospital accident as a colleague watched in horror.
Baquera leaves behind two sons and a daughter. 'My daughter is really torn up,' said Melissa Prado, the mother of two of his children. 'She spends almost every day with him. She's a little distraught, and my son's angry. They're not really coping too well. His hobby was his children.'
Emergency crews were called to the scene at around 1pm after reports of a man trapped in a ditch. They arrived within six minutes and found colleagues frantically trying to dig him out, but because of nearby gas lines and fragile infrastructure, rescue teams were forced to proceed slowly using specialist tools. It wasn't until around 2am the next day that his body was finally recovered.
Just hours before the vigil, construction crews were still working at the site, laying pavement and landscaping only metres from where the trench collapsed. Fred Gonzalez, who returned to the site days later with his son to inspect nearby piping, told AZ Central: 'It definitely feels eerie. We all are involved in the underground industry. The trench they were working in was shored up with a metal box-like structure. It can happen.'
On the day of the tragedy, the Industrial Commission of Arizona launched an investigation to determine if safety rules were breached. The agency said findings could take four to five months.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Baquera's family with funeral and memorial costs. 'Ronnie Baquera was a fun-loving, hard-working man who would do anything to help those around him,' the post reads. 'His warm heart, generous spirit, and unwavering dedication to his family and friends touched everyone who knew him.'
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Construction worker killed after he's buried alive in horror accident on site
Beloved dad-of-two Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr, 44, was suddenly buried beneath a heavy mass of shifting dirt after a trench suddenly collapsed at his workplace - and was pronounced dead shortly after A construction worker was shockingly buried alive under six feet of earth after a trench at his workplace suddenly collapsed, sparking a 13-hour recovery effort. Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr, known as Ronnie, died on Monday while working on a site in Goodyear, Arizona, after becoming trapped beneath a heavy mass of shifting dirt. Crews rushed to free the 44-year-old, but conditions quickly became too unstable, and within half an hour, the rescue mission turned into a recovery. 'Ronnie was a loving father and a loyal friend - brutally honest, endlessly caring, and unforgettable,' his childhood friend Nate Costly wrote in a tribute posted on Facebook. READ MORE: Dad dies in scalding hot bath as family slam hotel management for 'ignoring warnings' A vigil held on Friday saw mourners gather near the site, where gospel singer Shatera Williams described Baquera as a 'fixer' - someone who would 'fix things with laughter or his hands.' It comes after a doctor was decapitated by lift in a hospital accident as a colleague watched in horror. Baquera leaves behind two sons and a daughter. 'My daughter is really torn up,' said Melissa Prado, the mother of two of his children. 'She spends almost every day with him. She's a little distraught, and my son's angry. They're not really coping too well. His hobby was his children.' Emergency crews were called to the scene at around 1pm after reports of a man trapped in a ditch. They arrived within six minutes and found colleagues frantically trying to dig him out, but because of nearby gas lines and fragile infrastructure, rescue teams were forced to proceed slowly using specialist tools. It wasn't until around 2am the next day that his body was finally recovered. Just hours before the vigil, construction crews were still working at the site, laying pavement and landscaping only metres from where the trench collapsed. Fred Gonzalez, who returned to the site days later with his son to inspect nearby piping, told AZ Central: 'It definitely feels eerie. We all are involved in the underground industry. The trench they were working in was shored up with a metal box-like structure. It can happen.' On the day of the tragedy, the Industrial Commission of Arizona launched an investigation to determine if safety rules were breached. The agency said findings could take four to five months. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Baquera's family with funeral and memorial costs. 'Ronnie Baquera was a fun-loving, hard-working man who would do anything to help those around him,' the post reads. 'His warm heart, generous spirit, and unwavering dedication to his family and friends touched everyone who knew him.'
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By Published: Updated: An Arizona construction worker died on the job after being trapped beneath six feet of collapsing earth. Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr., or 'Ronnie,' 44, was working at a site in Goodyear on Monday when a trench suddenly collapsed. He was left trapped beneath six to seven feet of fast-moving dirt, according to AZ Central. Emergency crews arrived at the construction site at around 1pm within six minutes of receiving a call about a man trapped in a ditch. When the Goodyear Fire Department arrived, they found coworkers urgently struggling to free Baquera, who was buried beneath a massive, crushing weight of dirt. Rescue crews quickly recognized that the massive load of dirt above Baquera was creating dangerously unstable conditions within the trench. Because of sensitive infrastructure on site - including gas lines - crews were forced to slow their rescue efforts and use specialized equipment. At approximately 2am on July 29 - more than 12 hours after Baquera became trapped - crews successfully recovered his body from the trench. Fred Gonzalez was working in a trench with his 18-year-old son just feet from the one that collapsed only days earlier. Baquera leaves behind two sons and a daughter. Nate Costly, a childhood friend, organized a vigil on Friday. 'Ronnie was a loving father and a loyal friend - brutally honest, endlessly caring, and unforgettable,' Costly wrote in a heartfelt tribute to Facebook. 'He will be deeply missed.' Just hours before the vigil, construction crews were still active at the site, smoothing freshly poured sidewalks, while a bulldozer rested on a patch of dirt only feet from newly planted grass. Shatera Williams, who had known Baquera since she was 10, honored his life by singing a soulful gospel song, as reported by AZ Central. Echoing the sentiments of many, Williams described Baquera as a 'fixer' - someone who would 'fix things with laughter or his hands'. On the same day as the tragedy, the Industrial Commission of Arizona - along with partner agencies - launched an investigation into whether there were safety violations at the site, according to ABC 15. Charles Carpenter, a spokesman for the state's workplace safety agency, emphasized that investigation results typically take four to five months to be finalized. A GoFundMe page has been created to support the family with funeral and memorial expenses during this difficult time. 'Ronnie Baquera was a fun-loving, hard-working man who would do anything to help those around him,' the description reads. 'His warm heart, generous spirit, and unwavering dedication to his family and friends touched everyone who knew him.' By Saturday afternoon, the fundraiser had already raised $25,175 toward its $30,000 goal.
