3 die in Neb. trench collapse trying to save 4th
The Associated PressFour construction workers in northeast Nebraska died in a collapsed trench after one of them fell in and his co-workers tried to rescue him, officials said Friday.
The four men were working on the drainage trench near Verdel on Friday morning when part of it collapsed, the Knox County Sheriff's office said in a news release.
Travis Lunn, 24, of O'Neill, fell into the collapsing trench, officials said. The three others tried to rescue him but also became trapped in the dirt.
David Peterson, 35, of O'Neill; Gary Forsch, 61, of Spencer; and Brad Kelly, 43, of Lynch, also were killed.
The six-mile, $2.26 million project was scheduled to be completed in October, according to the Nebraska Department of Roads Web site.
The roadway has been damaged by flooding from high Missouri River water levels. It hadn't rained in the area for a few days, but sheriff's officials said water appeared to be seeping into the trench at the site of the collapse.
Verdel is a town of about 60 people just south of the South Dakota line.