A worker had to be life-flighted following a serious worksite accident in Woodland on Monday morning.

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue says they, along with several other agencies, responded around 8:30am to a report of a traumatic injury at a job site off Lewis River Road. A male worker had reportedly been in a 15-foot trench when a piece of heavy machinery—reportedly an excavator bucket—fell onto him.

With help from Vancouver Fire and Portland Fire’s Technical Rescue Team, crews were able to extricate the man and airlift him from the scene. Authorities said he suffered injuries to his lower extremities. They described the incident as a complex, multi-agency operation with a difficult rescue.

The cause of the accident has not yet been reported. Washington Labor and Industries are now investigating Vancouver-based Rotschy, Inc., the man’s employer. Rotschy has a history of L&I citations, including a 2023 incident in La Center where a teenager lost his leg on the job.

Just last Wednesday, Longview Port Commissioners discussed safety concerns related to the company after awarding Rotschy a $44.6 million contract to expand the port’s rail yard.