Abstract: Employee #1 was the foreman of a crew that was installing a 6 in. PVC sewer line in a trench that was approximately 12 ft deep and 4 ft wide, unshored, and unsloped. A trench box also was not in use. The trench was dug through an old septic tank system's field lines and was caving in while the crew installed the pipe. The pipe was being cut in half so that less area of the trench was open. The trench caved in and trapped Employee #1. Employees #2, #3, and #4 jumped in to rescue him. The trench caved in at least two more times, trapping Employees #2, #3, and #4 for various lengths of time. Employee #1 was trapped for 4 hours. Hydraulic shoring jacks and part of a trench box were available on site.