Man buried alive in Mapleton construction site cave-in
Jun 12, 2026, 7:03 AM
FILE: A helicopter responds to a house fire in Rockville, Washington County, where a man received critical injuries on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Hurricane Valley Fire & Rescue)
(Hurricane Valley Fire & Rescue)
MAPLETON — A cave-in at a construction site in a Mapleton neighborhood buried a 24-year-old man on Thursday evening.
At about 7:30 p.m., the Mapleton Fire Department received a call about a construction site incident near 1600 South 1600 West.
According to Capt. Smith with Mapleton FD, crews arrived to find the man completely covered by dirt. A cave-in at the site caused him to be buried above his head.
A special response team made up of multiple resources and personnel from across Utah County assisted in the rescue.
Capt. Smith said the man was conscious and spoke with crews throughout the entire process.
At about 9 p.m., rescuers freed the man, and he was airlifted to a local hospital in critical condition.
Roads near 1600 South 1600 West were closed temporarily to create a landing zone for the helicopter. They have since reopened, and crews are clearing the scene.
