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Man recovered more than 10 hours after well collapses in Bargersville

Posted at 1:12 PM, Jan 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-06 23:51:38-05

BARGERSVILLE — One person is dead after a well under construction collapsed in Johnson County Monday afternoon.

The location is 4991 West County Road 225 North in Bargersville.

Around 10:45 p.m., crews recovered the body of Douglas Scott Abney, 56, of Bargersville, after more than 10 hours, Johnson County Sheriff Duane Burgess said.

When the Bargersville Fire Department arrived, workers said a man was trapped about 15-feet below ground after walls of the well caved in.

According to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, rescue teams were not able to see the victim and decided entering the trench was too dangerous. At that point, the focus turned to "safely excavating the site for a safe recovery of the individual," Burgess said.

A trench rescue team from the Indianapolis Fire Department was called in to help. Investigators from the Indiana Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration also were on hand.