In 100-degree heat, Los Angeles firefighters rescue worker trapped in Los Feliz trench

After nearly six hours, Los Angeles firefighters saved a construction worker who fell into an 8-foot deep trench in Los Feliz — a rescue mission carried out during a sweltering, triple-digit heat wave.

The man was left in serious condition and had to be taken to a hospital by paramedics while two firefighters were treated at the scene for heat exhaustion, with one ultimately taken to a hospital, according to the LA Fire Department.

When firefighters responded just before 11 a.m., the man was conscious and alert but was surrounded by dirt up to his shoulders inside a trench in the back of a hillside home, the LA Fire Department said in an alert Thursday morning. He was at a construction site at a house in the 2300 block of Catalina Street. 

Several hours later, at 4:54 p.m., LAFD said firefighters had managed to finally pull him out — working through "oppressive heat" as temperatures in the Los Angeles neighborhood reached 103 degrees during the afternoon.

While he remained trapped underground, dozens of firefighters rotated shifts as they spent hours trying to rescue him.

At the time, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned of heat-related risks for workers, advising those at job and construction sites to stay hydrated and in the shade whenever possible due to extreme temperatures.

Although the construction worker was alert during the rescue efforts, firefighters were concerned about possible side effects from being stuck inside such an enclosed space for so long.

"So as you can imagine, when you have all of that dirt come around you, that creates a ton of pressure and that could create what we call crush injuries," LAFD Captain Erik Scott said.

When they did finally pull him out, Scott said he was still worried about his condition.

"He's okay as can be," Scott said. "We're worried about what we call 'crush syndrome.'"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines "crush syndrome" as a medical condition stemming from the compression of body parts, which can cause the release of potential toxins into the victim's bloodstream. The condition has a mortality rate of 4.6%, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health.

At 11:18 a.m., aerial footage showed at least a dozen firefighters shoveling dirt at the construction site, trying to reach the worker. He was provided with an oxygen mask, and firefighters had stabilized the trench's walls, authorities said. LAFD first responders who specialize in working in confined spaces were at the scene.

Firefighters later sent down a hose to pull out dirt from inside the trench while a vacuum truck was also being used to suck dirt out of it, according to Scott. In total, 40,000 pounds of dirt was removed, authorities said.

Scott said firefighters carried the hose 200 feet down a hillside amid the scorching heat.

"It is very hot, very humid here. This is arduous work," Scott said. "But this has been amazing to watch — truly, your Los Angeles City Fire Department Urban Search & Rescue team are the best of the best. This is a low-frequency, high-risk type incident that they've trained for."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the labor conditions regulator also known as OSHA, is now investigating.