HANSON, MA - Around 11:30 A.M. on the morning of Wednesday, February 7th, the Hanson Fire Department responded to a call for a partial building collapse with a person trapped at 50 Dwight Street. Companies arrived to find a 51-year-old male victim who was trapped under a section of the concrete foundation which fell on him during construction at the property. The victim was found to be unconscious, and was pronounced dead on-scene by paramedics.

Due to the victim being trapped under a heavy piece of concrete, the Plymouth County Technical Rescue Team was called to respond with their structural collapse equipment, and personnel. Crews staged on Route-58 near the scene. Technical rescue technicians needed to first secure the house to prevent it from moving, shifting, or collapsing upon rescuers. Once the dwelling was shored and secured, recovery operations of the victim could begin. The technical rescue team reported that they utilized airbags and other tools to lift the concrete slab off the victim so they could be recovered. The victim was recovered around 2:49 P.M.

The cause of the accident is under investigation by federal, state, and local investigators. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Massachusetts State Police, and the Hanson Police Department are working together on investigating the incident. Initial reports indicate that the house was having the basement waterproofed, and a trench had been dug around the foundation. A piece of the foundation broke free, pinning the victim underneath. No other injuries were reported.