Injured construction worker rescued from trench in Chicago's north suburbs

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A worker was rescued from a trench Friday morning in north suburban Lake Forest, after a piece of construction equipment fell on him while he was helping build a basement.

Shortly before 10 a.m., Lake Forest firefighters responded to a construction site on the 300 block of North Green Bay Road, where a concrete form used to mold concrete slabs had fallen from a scaffolding, hitting a construction worker in a 16-foot-deep trench.

Lake Forest Fire Department Deputy Chief Andy Rick said the worker was awake and alert, but had suffered a back injury.

After stabilizing the worker on a backboard, firefighters used a ladder truck to lift the worker out of the trench within 20 to 25 minutes of arriving on the scene.

The worker was given pain medication and was taken to Lake Forest Hospital for treatment.