Edmonton rescuers worked carefully for four hours Sunday to free two men trapped in dirt at a construction site.
The two, a 16-year-old and his 25-year-old cousin, were caught in a hole under a ground level patio at a seniors condominium where they were trying to stop water leaking into the basement.
Another worker at the site, identified only as Tony, said he was moving dirt away from the hole when he turned around to see dirt filling it in very quickly, covering the older man up to his neck and burying the teenager.
"I dug an air hole with a shovel as fast as I could and I called 911," Tony told the Canadian Press.
Firefighters arrived promptly, but had to shore up the trench to prevent further collapses before starting the rescue. It took more than two hours to free the younger man, and four hours before the older worker was removed.
Time was a factor because it was below freezing.
"Hypothermia is one of the concerns," Emergency Measures Service spokesman Nikki Booth said.
The men were rushed to hospital.
The incident happened on Edmonton's south side just before 4 p.m.
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