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Man Dead After Becoming Trapped By Collapsed Cesspool In Huntington

HUNTINGTON,N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- A man was killed when a cesspool collapsed and trapped him in Huntington, Long Island.

The body of 59-year-old Edward Sinnott was recovered shortly before 7 p.m.

Sinnot was working at a home on Beech Place in Huntington around 1 p.m. Wednesday, when tragedy struck.

One worker said they were in the back of the house trying to fix the cesspool when all of a sudden the ground swallowed the man, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.

As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff explained, workers realized they weren't getting the proper drainage, so they decided to dig a shaft with a crane. One worker was on the side of the work, directing the crane when the ground gave way and he fell into a giant sinkhole.

Suffolk County Police Second Precinct and Emergency Service Section officers, Nassau County Emergency Service officers, members of the Huntington and Huntington Manor Fire Department and officials from the Town of Huntington responded.

Fire and rescue crews made a dramatic effort to save the man's life -- using a giant vacuum, trying to suck out the dirt and unearth him.

Video from the scene showed a large hole in a backyard and a huge emergency response.

Cesspools are very common on Long Island, it is unclear why this one caved in.

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