A construction worker’s legs were injured when a floor gave way at the former Rocky Mountain News building and he fell 10 feet and was trapped by a concrete slab, officials say.
The man, whose identity was not released, was conscious as he was taken by ambulance to Denver Health Medical Center, said Lt. Phil Champagne, Denver fire spokesman.
The man was hosing down concrete dust at 8:18 a.m. as a crane was tearing down concrete sections of the building on 400 W. Colfax Ave. that is currently under demolition.
Pieces of concrete fell on top of the first floor and it collapsed, Champagne said. The man fell and a section of concrete about about 6 feet by 4 feet fell on top of his legs, pinning him down, he said.
“He very lucky that the slab only hit him in the lower extremities,” Champagne said.
Firefighters used equipment already on site to pull the slab off the man, he said. Firefighters used ropes to pull a stretcher out of the basement.
“He’ll be fine,” Champagne said.
The injured worker is an employee of Colorado Cleanup Corp., a subcontractor for Hensel Phelps Construction Co., which is building Denver County’s new Justice Center.
A spokesman for Hensel said the worker’s injuries were minor.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
