Ottawa·NewThe man was working at the bottom of a two-and-a-half metre trench on rue des Anciens in the city’s Pointe-Gatineau neighbourhood Thursday morning when rocks and clay suddenly fell in. He ended up being trapped for nearly four hours.Was trapped up to his hips for several hours, authorities sayCBC News · Posted: Aug 07, 2025 5:20 PM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes agoIt took fire crews several hours Thursday to rescue a man in his 50s who was partially buried inside a hole at a Gatineau, Que., worksite. (Matéo Garcia-Tremblay/Radio-Canada)A man in his 50s has been rescued after being trapped for several hours in a hole at a Gatineau, Que., worksite, officials say.The man was working at the bottom of a two-and-a-half metre trench on rue des Anciens in the city’s Pointe-Gatineau neighbourhood Thursday morning when rocks and clay suddenly fell in.He ended up being buried in the hole up to his hips, division fire chief Dany Fortin told Radio-Canada.It took nearly four hours to free him, officials said. A truck typically used to handle water main breaks was able to siphon off the earth that had fallen in, and once the hole was empty, the man was pulled out at around 2:15 p.m. with a rope tied to his waist.Despite the fact he lost circulation in his legs, his recovery should go well, Fortin said.Roughly 40 firefighters — half from Gatineau, half from Ottawa — took part in the rescue operation. Several paramedics were also present.Despite losing circulation in his legs, the man is expected to recover, said Dany Fortin, a division fire chief. (Matéo Garcia-Tremblay/Radio-Canada)With files from Radio-Canada’s André Boisjoli and Anne-Charlotte Carignan
Man rescued from hole at Gatineau, Que., worksite
