OCEAN PINES — A Worcester County public works employee early Wednesday morning fell about 20 feet into a water and wastewater shaft and had to be extricated and ultimately flown via helicopter to Shock Trauma in Baltimore with unknown injuries.
Around 8:40 a.m. on Wednesday, the Ocean Pines Fire Department received an emergency call regarding a Worcester County employee falling into a 20-foot shaft at the county facility near the South Gate at the entrance to the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. The victim, James Bailey, a collection system operator in the county’s Ocean Pines Service Area, fell into a dry well in the area of Pump Station T.
Rescue crews worked for about an hour to extricate Bailey, who was then flown via Maryland State Police helicopter to Shock Trauma in Baltimore. The nature of the victim’s injuries nor his condition were known as of mid-week.
The Ocean Pines Volunteer Fire Department was the lead agency on the rescue and crews extricated the victim in about an hour. The Showell Volunteer Fire Company also assisted.