Abstract: At approximately 3:15 p.m. on October 15, 1996, Employee #1, age 20, and two coworkers were repairing a water pipe in a 10 ft deep excavation. A large section of the west wall and a section of the south wall collapsed, completely burying Employee #1 under 1 1/2 to 2 feet of sand, and burying his coworkers to their waists. A backhoe operator working nearby began digging out the two standing coworkers while yelling to another coworker to call 911. When the buried men were freed, they began digging for Employee #1, and were soon joined by fire and other emergency personnel. Employee #1's head was uncovered first, and the rescuers attempted to get him breathing while the rest of his body was dug free. Employee #1 was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:26 p.m. Apparent hazards identified at the site included an accumulation of water, lack of proper sloping of the excavation walls, inadequate protection of the excavation surface, and obstructed egress.