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Delivery Driver Rescued After Falling 50 Feet Into Hole At Construction Site

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Firefighters rescued a delivery truck driver who fell into an excavation about two feet in diameter and 50 feet deep at a construction site in the Beverly Crest area of Los Angeles.

The accident was reported about 8:40 a.m. in the 1600 block of San Ysidro Drive, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The 30-year-old delivery truck driver was brought to safety at about 9:35 a.m. and was treated for cuts to his head and face. He was taken to a hospital in fair condition.

The man was delivering steel rebar to a residential construction site when he got out of his truck, LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey said.

"He apparently stepped on plywood covering one of several deep holes on the property," Humphrey said. "He fell as many as 50 feet down the 24-inch-diameter hole, landing feet first on compacted soil.

Rescuers first introduced fresh air into the hole via a "confined space ventilation system," then lowered a harness on a rope, which the man secured around his body, Humphrey said.

"Firefighters used an aerial ladder truck in a crane-like fashion, and delicately raised him to ground level with the fire truck's winch," Humphrey said.

Cal-OSHA was notified and will investigate. Traffic was routed away from the area as a precaution during the rescue effort.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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