Men Identified in Deadly New Plymouth Trench Collapse

A heartbreaking tragedy yesterday in New Plymouth has taken the lives of two men who have now been identified. 

59-year-old Javier Ortega of New Plymouth

51-year-old Arcenio Carillo of Vale, Oregon

Both men were killed when they were buried alive. The trench they were working on collapsed yesterday at 8:36 a.m. on SW 1st Street between Akron and Butte in New Plymouth.

According to KTVB, there was the third man at the site who was working a backhoe when the accident happened. He was not buried at all and was able to call for help, but it was too late.

The sheriff's office says the men were installing irrigation pipes for a private company whose name has not been released. It is not known whether they were using any type of safety equipment.

Please keep the families and friends of these men in your thoughts and prayers in the many painful days to come.