CHARLEROI, Pa. — A man who was stuck in a hole caused by a trench collapse thanked the dozens of emergency responders who saved his life. Vincenzo Lopez said, “I owe you my future; every day it is because of you.” Lopez was working on a sewer line break on McKean Avenue in Charleroi when the trench collapsed, trapping him in waist-deep dirt. Charleroi’s Fire Chief Robert Whiten says – when he first saw Lopez in the hole – he knew he was going to need backup. Whiten says emergency responders from 40 different agencies rushed to help – including the PA Urban Search and Rescue’s Strike team, which played a critical role in the rescue. For the 5 hours he was trapped. Lopez was eventually able to climb out of the hole with only an ankle injury and a chipped tooth. Lopez is already back at work and says that while he hasn’t gone back to working in ditches yet, he says he’s not afraid.