Man rescued after being trapped for 12 hours during landslide

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - A backhoe operator was rescued after being trapped for 12 hours during a Tennessee landslide in Lewis County on Tuesday night.

Officials with the Maury County Fire Department said they sent aid to Lewis County for a landslide incident in the Hampshire community. Upon arrival, crews found the face of a chert pit collapsed onto a backhoe, completely burying it.

The backhoe operator, who was trapped for 12 hours, could talk to first responders. He said only his head and one arm were above the dirt. Only a small portion of the backhoe’s roof was visible.

The fire department said crews placed a pipe down to the area to provide fresh air to the operator.

Heavy equipment was brought to the scene to rescue the operator, including a skid steer and backhoe from civilians.

Crews began digging with shovels and formed a “bucket brigade” to remove dirt from the immediate area of the trapped backhoe.

During the rescue, the operator was given oxygen and specialized care due to the time he was trapped.

Once the dirt was removed from the sides of the backhoe, the roof was cut off with a rotary saw while it was cradled with chains and lifted off the backhoe.

More dirt was removed by hand from around the man and he was successfully removed from the backhoe.

The man was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center by helicopter for treatment.

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