Saturday, December 15th, 2007

Two local men injured when trench collapses

By Margie Wuebker
Two local men were injured when a trench in which they were working collapsed on top of them Friday morning near Montezuma.
Levarn Koesters, 51, 1000 Woodview Drive, Coldwater, and Eric E. Langenkamp, 29, 328 N. West St., St. Marys, were rescued by fellow Saintignon Excavating employees.
The two men were laying pipe in a trench for a lagoon at Mike's Sanitation Service, 8810 Brockman Road. Both were buried when a portion of the southwest corner collapsed shortly before 11:45 a.m.
"They were digging into the bank and it just collapsed," owner Bruce Saintignon told The Daily Standard on Friday night. "Other employees at the site responded quickly and dug them out."
He declined to comment further on the accident, saying his primary concern at this point is the well being of his injured workers.
Both men were taken by ambulance from the scene, located between St. John Road and the Mercer-Auglaize County Line Road, to Mercer County Community Hospital in Coldwater.
Koesters was treated in the emergency room and then transferred aboard a CareFlight emergency helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, where his condition was listed as fair Friday night. Langenkamp was treated then released.
"Levarn is going to need back surgery and then recuperation time," Saintignon said moments after talking with family members late Friday. "Eric is back home with his family."
Koesters has worked six years for the company headquartered at 8851 County Road 219A, Celina, while Langenkamp has completed a year of service.
Saintignon expressed gratitude to employees for their rapid response, adding the outcome could have been far different without their diligence. The men were pulled from the trench prior to the arrival of emergency personnel.
Mercer County Sheriff's deputies responded to the scene as did Montezuma Fire Department personnel and a Coldwater unit of Mercer County Emergency Medical Services.
Additional online story on this date
ST. MARYS - The shooting woes for St. Marys continued and Celina took full advantage during the boys basketball version of the Battle of Grand Lake on Friday night at McBroom Gymnasium. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
MINSTER - The sound of Christmas music fills Heritage Manor Nursing Center as residents perform songs they learned long ago before the days of silver hair, sturdy canes, trusty wheelchairs and chronic health problems.
The demolition of the former Mersman Furniture Co. complex may not be complete until summer as crews continue the slow process of salvaging wood from the interior of the buildings, city officials say.
FORT RECOVERY - While the area prepares for an impending snowstorm, the Minster Wildcats suffered through a deadly drought Friday night at the Fort Site Fieldhouse.
ROCKFORD - The New Knoxville Rangers boys basketball team used a huge fourth quarter to pull away and post a 60-53 Midwest Athletic Conference win over the Parkway Panthers Friday at Panther Gymnasium.
NEW BREMEN - In a game where neither team could get an offensive rhythm, the St. Henry-New Bremen Midwest Athletic Conference battle would come down to which defense could hold on longest.
ST. MARYS - The Celina boys basketball team was playing at full strength for the first time of the season and it was great to see for Bulldog fans.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Shawnee continued its hot start to the season, traveling to the Elida Fieldhouse and dominating Elida, 75-42, to go to 5-0 on the season. The Bulldogs fell to 2-4 with the loss.