Man Trapped In Collapse During School Renovation

DENVER (CBS4)- Emergency workers rushed to a school under construction at Pearl and Bayaud on Thursday afternoon after a worker became trapped when a portion of a wall collapsed.

One man was rescued from underneath the rubble. The injuries were unknown but a spokesman with the Denver Fire Department told CBS4 the man was talking and was conscious when he was rescued.

The man gave a thumbs up as he was being loaded into the ambulance and then rushed to a nearby hospital.

"I think he's shaken up but he's conscious, he's thankful to the firefighters that did such a wonderful job with him and we're going to stay in close contact with him at the hospital and through his employer," said Swinerton Building spokesman David White.

The old Byers school had been closed for sometime. It was built in 1920 and was undergoing renovations when the collapse happened.

Next year the school is set to reopen as a Denver School of Science and Technology campus.

The man was on the second floor and working to take down a wall when it collapsed.

The reason for the collapse was being investigated but there are concerns about another collapse so crews are being extra vigilant.

The worker was employed by a subcontractor of Swinerton Building.