FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. — A worker died after falling down a manhole at Armuchee High School on Wednesday, according to the Floyd County Police Department.
The police department responded to a distress call reporting that an individual had fallen into a manhole in front of the school. When Officer William Wacker arrived, he said Danny Couzzort from K and D Plumbing informed him that another man, identified as Nicholas Damron, was shouting down the manhole while holding a strap.
The manhole, police said, appeared to have been recently dug adjacent to a trench.
Shining his flashlight into the deep hole, Officer Wacker made a disheartening discovery. At the bottom of the hole was an unconscious man, later identified as Robert Hall, who was found wearing jeans, boots, and a dark blue work shirt.
The man's legs were folded, and the concrete wall appeared to support his head, with his chin possibly touching his chest. There were no visible signs of breathing or movement from the victim, Floyd Police said.
According to Damron, Hall had been standing on the second rung of a ladder attached to the manhole, leaning over to assist with a pipe. Unfortunately, Hall slipped and fell to the bottom of the hole. Initially, he managed to regain his footing and audibly exhaled in relief. However, moments later, Hall lost consciousness and fell once more. Damron and Danny expressed concerns about the possibility of gas emanating from the manhole. They also noted that Hall had repeatedly mentioned the intense heat and had not taken any breaks throughout the work period.
Officer Wacker promptly reported the condition of the victim to dispatch and awaited the arrival of the Fire Department. Meanwhile, Officer Bryant notified the school administration about the incident. Despite calling out Hall's name and searching for signs of life, there was no response or movement from him.
The Fire Department arrived on the scene at 2:37 p.m. to rescue Hall from the manhole. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were present, and a Life Flight helicopter was en route to provide further assistance. As the fire personnel worked to extract Hall from the deep hole, officers stood by to support the rescue operation.
Eventually, around 3:48 p.m., Hall was successfully pulled from the manhole, and the coroner declared him dead.
Investigators documented the scene through photographs while Hall's body was transported to the morgue for further examination at the crime lab. At present, police said no evidence of foul play has been detected, suggesting that the incident was a tragic accident.
Floyd County Schools offered a statement in response to Hall's death:
It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we inform the Floyd County Schools’ community of a situation that occurred on July 12, 2023. Our school system learned about the death of an employee of a contracting company who was working a job site at Armuchee High School’s campus. This accident has impacted our school system family and stakeholders in many ways and we are actively sending support to those directly affected by this. During this time, we have extended our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family. We also understand this is a difficult time for the company who lost this employee, and we would like to extend our thoughts to them and anyone else who knew and loved this individual.
An online fundraiser has been set up to help raise funds for Hall's funeral expenses.
