A 44-year-old construction worker has died after being buried alive when a trench collapsed at a worksite in Goodyear, Arizona. Ronald Andrew Baquera Jr, known to friends as Ronnie, was trapped under six feet of earth on Monday afternoon, prompting a 13-hour recovery effort by emergency crews.
Firefighters were called to the scene at around 1pm and arrived within six minutes, finding colleagues desperately trying to dig Baquera free. However, the presence of nearby gas lines and fragile infrastructure meant rescue teams had to proceed slowly using specialist equipment. The mission shifted from rescue to recovery within half an hour, and his body was not recovered until around 2am the following day.
Tributes have since poured in for the father of three. Childhood friend Nate Costly described him as "a loving father and a loyal friend - brutally honest, endlessly caring, and unforgettable". At a vigil held near the site on Friday, gospel singer Shatera Williams called Baquera a "fixer" who would "fix things with laughter or his hands". Melissa Prado, mother of two of his children, said his daughter was distraught and his son angry, adding: "His hobby was his children."
The Industrial Commission of Arizona has launched an investigation into whether safety rules were breached, with findings expected in four to five months. Fred Gonzalez, a visitor to the site days later, told AZ Central: "It definitely feels eerie. We all are involved in the underground industry. The trench they were working in was shored up with a metal box-like structure. It can happen." A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Baquera's family with funeral costs.
