Abstract: At approximately 10:00 a.m. on January 21, 2010, Employee #1 was the head of operations for the City of Long Beach, Public Works office. He was inspecting Storm Drain Number 19 due to reports of soil build-up from erosion from heavy rains. The drain station consisted of a 25 ft deep wet well with three pumps. A steel stair case consisting of two flights of steps with a landing between them was bolted to the interior wall of the wet well. Employee #1 descended the stairs. When he stepped on the second flight, it separated from the wall, and Employee #1 was thrown into the water in the wet well. He swam to the side and coworkers threw him a fire hose to wrap around himself. The coworkers lowered a portable metal ladder, and Employee #1 was able to climb to the landing, then up the remaining stairs. Employee #1 suffered a laceration that required several days of hospitalization for treatment.