Construction Worker, 29, Killed After Tunnel Collapses Beneath Apartment Complex

A 29-year-old construction worker was killed in a terrifying tunnel collapse beneath a Dallas-area apartment complex, officials said.

The worker, identified by the Dallas County medical examiner’s office as Josias David Pedro Aquino, died Thursday after he became trapped under the Sage Hill at Cypress Waters apartment complex in far northwest Dallas near Coppell.

The nightmare unfolded around 3:20 p.m. on June 18 in the 2200 block of Sage Hill Lane, near Olympus Boulevard, according to Dallas Fire-Rescue.

Officials said workers had been manually digging a tunnel underneath the apartment building when a trench suddenly collapsed.

Aquino was trapped beneath the concrete and dirt as rescue crews raced to the scene.

Dallas Fire-Rescue spokeswoman Susana Solis said a search and rescue team had to cut through the concrete floor and remove about 3 feet of dirt to reach him.

Despite the massive rescue effort, Aquino died at the scene at 3:30 p.m., according to the medical examiner’s office.

City of Coppell spokeswoman Ginene Delcioppo said the collapse happened while concrete was being poured. The apartment building itself remained intact.

For hours after the collapse, dozens of first responders surrounded the complex as crews worked to stabilize the cave-in site and recover the trapped worker.

Residents watched from their balconies as the heartbreaking scene unfolded below.

Crews brought in a compact excavator to dig near the collapse point, and dirt and debris from beneath the building’s foundation began piling up outside. A hydro excavation truck, which uses high-pressure water and suction to remove soil, was also brought to the scene.

Officials from the Coppell Fire Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were also at the apartment complex.

The Dallas Morning News reported that OSHA was contacted for more information, but a response was not immediately available. The outlet also reached out to the construction company believed to have been working at the site before the collapse.

The deadly incident comes after another trench collapse in the Dallas-Fort Worth area claimed the life of a construction worker in 2024.

In that case, a 38-year-old worker died after the walls of a trench caved in while he was working in Lewisville. His widow later sued the city for more than $1 million, claiming contractors failed to provide the equipment needed to keep the job site safe.

Aquino’s death is now under investigation.