Man crushed to death after digging hole under Santa Ana bridge
Man fatally crushed while digging under Santa Ana bridge
A man was crushed to death while digging under a Santa Ana bridge. FOX 11's Nic Garcia has the latest details.
SANTA ANA, Calif. - A man was crushed to death while digging under a bridge in Santa Ana on Tuesday, authorities said.
Victim found trapped in hole
What we know:
The victim’s identity has not been released. People who said they knew him told FOX 11 he had been living under the bridge at the time of the incident.
First responders surrounded the 17th Street bridge near Fairview Avenue along the Santa Ana River bed.
According to the Orange County Fire Authority, firefighters found the man trapped in a hole he had apparently dug himself.
"There was no work being done there. It was not a construction site or anything like that," Capt. Greg Barta said in a phone interview. "As far as the individual’s living situation or anything about the individual, we don’t have any information."
Barta said concrete above the hole collapsed, crushing and killing the man.
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Friend discovered victim
What they're saying:
A man at the scene, who did not provide his name, said the victim was his friend and that he found him and called 911.
Several people were seen under the bridge and appeared to be camping or living there on both sides of the river.
Another woman said she often saw the man on her way to work and believed he was living under the bridge. She said she would sometimes give him food.
Work crews at the scene said people have been living in holes along the riverbed.
The incident comes amid broader concerns about homelessness in Southern California, following a recent report of a woman found living in a sewer drain in South Los Angeles.
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Safety warning and enforcement
Local perspective:
"You see something out of the ordinary, you see somebody [who's] in trouble, please call us," Barta said. "The quicker you can call us, the more likely we are to make a difference."
Signs posted along the riverbed state that camping and storing personal property in the area are prohibited and warn that violators could be cited or arrested for trespassing.