Clarke County was the scene of an emergency rescue this past Thursday. While working his job, Pachuta employee Tyler Kirkman became trapped.
“I was in the trench digging the main sewer line, and it just caved in on me,” explained Tyler. “I think I was about 10 or 12 feet down, and it came up to my torso area.”
Emergency officials responded to the scene quickly and started the process of trying to help get him out.
“Around 10:30, we got a call about a man trapped in a hole in the Pachuta area,” stated Sheriff Todd Kemp. “Emergency responders and law enforcement responded quickly. It was pretty obvious that he was trapped from the waist down in the muck and mud. I think one of the problems was his legs were folded up under him. After several attempts to try to get him out, they were scared that the wall was continuing to cave. They called the Air Force unit down here, and they specialize in getting people out of holes. They had to cover the sides with wood products to be able to get down there and physically dig him out with a shovel and a bucket.”
Throughout the ordeal, Tyler was able to stay calm. In fact, with all the emergency crews around him, he wasn’t really able to tell just how long he had been trapped. He was very grateful for everyone who came out to help him and couldn’t brag enough on the responders.
“It honestly didn’t feel like it took that long. It felt like it went a lot quicker than what it was,” expressed Tyler. “I greatly appreciate the first responders. They were great and really helped me out. Eddie Ivy was amazing. He knew what he was doing and made sure that he did everything that he could possibly do.”
The responders who were so great to come out to the scene were the Clarke County Sheriff’s Department, Paratech EMS, Pachuta and Harmony Fire Departments, UMMC AirCare, Key Field Fire and Rescue, Harmony Water, Quitman Water, Village of Pachuta, and the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Not only were there people there helping to dig Tyler out, but he was also very appreciative of the prayers that he was receiving. While he knew people all over were praying, he was comforted by a preacher who came to the scene and prayed relentlessly for his rescue.
“Over the five hour period they were digging, Jason Castle, the pastor at Barnett Independent Church and the fire department chaplain, never ceased to quit praying,” said Tyler. “Every time I looked up during that five hours, he was sitting there praying.”
Once he was removed from the hole, Tyler was airlifted to Anderson’s Hospital in Meridian to check for injuries, and later released. Luckily, he sustained only minor injuries from the event. He considers himself very blessed that nothing worse came of the ordeal.
