Construction worker who was killed when buried in a ditch identified by SC coroner
A man was killed in South Carolina Monday while working on a construction site, according to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
Anthony Marquet Hollowman, a 53-year-old Bishopville resident, was the victim who died at the scene, Newberry County Coroner Laura Kneece said Tuesday afternoon.
Deputies responded to the incident at about 10:50 a.m. Monday, after an emergency call about a construction worker being buried in a ditch, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
The deputies and other emergency responders — including Newberry County EMS, Fairview Fire and Lake Murray Rescue — learned that a construction worker had been laying a water line in a trench when it collapsed and trapped him, according to the release.
The collapse happened in the 7700 block of Macedonia Church Road, Kneece said. That’s in Prosperity, not far from Lake Murray.
Other construction workers’ attempts to save the man were unsuccessful before specialized trench rescue units from Whitmire Rescue, along with additional Newberry County Rescue and Fire Services, were called to the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
The incident commander also called for help from the Columbia Fire Department and Lexington County Fire Services, which have specialized units with expertise in trench and confined space rescue operations, according to the release.
Then the coroner’s office was called to the scene, the sheriff’s office said.
No other injuries were reported.
The incident continues to be investigated by the sheriff’s office and coroner’s office.
An autopsy will be performed this week, Kneece said.
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This story was originally published February 18, 2025 at 7:20 AM with the headline "Construction worker who was killed when buried in a ditch identified by SC coroner."
