NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – There was a dramatic rescue in Brooklyn as more than 100 firefighters rushed to save two construction workers trapped underneath a collapsed retaining wall.
As CBS2’s Kevin Rincon reports, in the backyard of 454 42nd Street in Sunset Park, a 9′ wall suddenly collapsed Monday afternoon, pinning two construction workers underneath it.
READ MORE: New York State Legislature Votes To Curb Gov. Cuomo's Emergency PowersOne of the two men did not survive.
Firefighters rushed to try and save the two who were underneath a pile of debris after the wall collapsed. Chopper 2 was on the scene as a stretcher was moved into place. One of the men was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn. The FDNY says that man was seriously injured and in critical condition.
The other worker died at the scene.
Tomel Shamsuddim was working with those men. After the collapse, he sat across the street, thinking it could have been him.
“God saved me. God saved me,” he said.
Stretchers are being brought in. pic.twitter.com/MjILtWHw2D
— Kevin Rincon (@KevRincon) December 28, 2020
Shamsuddim says they came to work on the project when things went wrong.
“I call last night, you guys work with me, work together. They said OK,” he said.
He had left moments before the collapse to get lunch.
#HappeningNow:
READ MORE: Brooklyn Mom Wants NYC Apartments Inspected Annually After Parts Of Ceiling Crash Down On 12-Year-Old Son
A brick retaining wall has collapsed, trapping workers under the debris, vicinity of 42 Street & 5th Avenue @NYPD72Pct #ESU & #K9 members are assisting @fdny @ the scene#SRG has established perimeter securityAvoid the area
Expect numerous emergency vehicles pic.twitter.com/ItSNsOLTFL— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) December 28, 2020
The FDNY says more than 100 firefighters, EMS and other personnel were called to the scene.
“It was a 9 foot retaining wall. It was a 90 degree collapse onto the workers,” said Deputy FDNY Chief James A. Boyle.
The NYPD was also on the scene to assist. The investigation is ongoing.
One of the construction workers hurt in the wall collapse has been brought out to this ambulance. pic.twitter.com/aY8HsVCfmV
— Kevin Rincon (@KevRincon) December 28, 2020
It’s not yet clear what kind of work the men were doing, and what exactly led up to the wall collapse.
The scene will remain closed off so investigators can comb through the debris and piece together what went wrong.
More From CBS New York:
MORE NEWS: Immersive Public Art Installation Now On Display At Domino Park- 1 Dead, 1 Injured After Wall Collapses In Brooklyn
- ‘I’ve Never Seen Anything Like It’: Boy On Autism Spectrum Gets Life-Changing Christmas Gift
- Ezequiel Gonzalez, 25, Killed In Early Morning Fire At Lodi Home
Kevin Rincon contributed to this report.
