Homebuilding worker dies after shock, fall in Bethesda

An articulated boom that was helping pour concrete struck overhead wires at around 12:30 p.m. and pitched him into the trench, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. It also brought down the power line.
An articulated boom that was helping pour concrete struck overhead wires at around 12:30 p.m. and pitched the worker into the trench, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. It also brought down the power line. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
first responders on homebuilding site
It took first responders about 15 minutes to retrieve the man after he fell into an 8-foot-deep foundation for a home being built along Wilmett Road. (Courtesy Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)
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An articulated boom that was helping pour concrete struck overhead wires at around 12:30 p.m. and pitched him into the trench, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. It also brought down the power line.
first responders on homebuilding site

A worker died Tuesday afternoon after he was shocked and fell into a trench at a construction site in Bethesda, Maryland.

It took first responders about 15 minutes to retrieve the man after he fell into an 8-foot-deep foundation for a home being built along Wilmett Road, said Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer.

An articulated boom that was helping pour concrete struck overhead wires at around 12:30 p.m. and pitched him into the trench, according to the fire department.

“He was down in a confined space, in between the formation walls of this foundation, so it was a little tight down there,” Piringer said after the rescue. “Medics were able to get down there, provide advanced life support. … But again, it was a little difficult to get him out.”

The worker was transported to the hospital as a priority one trauma patient, Piringer said, but he later succumbed to his injuries. A second worker was taken to the hospital as well with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The incident also downed the power line, at one point leaving about 1,200 customers without power.

Dick Uliano

Whether anchoring the news inside the Glass-Enclosed Nerve Center or reporting from the scene in Maryland, Virginia or the District, Dick Uliano is always looking for the stories that really impact people's lives.

Jack Pointer

Jack contributes to WTOP.com when he's not working as the afternoon/evening radio writer.

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