Abstract: Employee #1 entered a 10 ft deep and 3 ft wide trench so that he could use a shovel to uncover a Y-connection for a sewage hook-up. The east wall collapsed and he started up the ladder, but the collapsed wall forced him and the ladder backward, pinning him against the west wall. While efforts were being made to free Employee #1, the trench filled with water from a dry well just north of the trench. The water filled around his head but a short length of hose was provided to allow him to breathe until he could be freed. His injuries included lacerations and contusions to the head, face, chest, arms, and legs. These injuries resulted mostly from the ladder being forced against Employee #1 by the collapsed wall. Before the trench collapsed, water had been trickling into the trench and there was approximately 1 1/2 ft of standing water at the bottom of the trench.