Man dies in trench collapse on Coachford farm

A man has died in a tragic workplace accident after he was trapped under a collapsed trench on a site in Coachford, near Macroom.

The man, believed to be in his 30s and to have celebrated his birthday in recent days, was laying pipes for drainage in a deep excavation on a farm site in the Roovesmore area when the sides of a trench collapsed on him, trapping him underneath.

Emergency services were alerted to the incident at approximately 10.10am on Thursday morning after the alarm was raised.

Gardaí and fire crews from Ballincollig and Macroom attended the scene where they tried to free the man.

A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Authority said they were aware of the details of the accident and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the trench collapse would begin immediately.

Cork TD Aindrias Moynihan, from nearby Macroom, said people in the area were saddened to learn of the tragic event.

“It's an awful tragedy for the family and for his co-workers. You head out to work and you expect to be heading home again,” he said.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the man's family and everybody involved,” he added.