Abstract: At 9:00 a.m. on September 30, 2019, an employee was working in a trench that was approximately 15-feet long, 48-inches deep at the west end, 72-inches at the east end and 8-feet wide. The water line was exposed in the center of the trench running parallel to it. The trench had not been benched or sloped and no protective systems had been installed. The employee entered the trench via a ladder at the west end and began using a shovel to clear dirt from around and under the metal water line to look for water leaks. The employee had been in the trench for approximately one minute when the south wall of the trench collapsed on top of him burying him up to his waist. The owner immediately entered the trench to perform rescue activities. The employee was hospitalized to treat a fractured orbital, fractures to L5, L7 vertebrae, 3 pelvic fractures and a fractured sacrum.