Former Soccer Player Identified as Worker Killed in California Trench Collapse
Pablo Gomez, 34, died after being trapped for hours in a Hickman worksite incident, prompting an investigation.
The worker killed in a trench collapse in the Hickman area of California on Friday has been identified as 34-year-old Pablo Gomez.
Gomez, a former goalkeeper for the Modesto City Football Club, was trapped for hours in the excavation before succumbing to his injuries. The Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District responded to the scene approximately five miles east of Hickman Road and Lake Road.
The Modesto City Football Club mourned the loss of their former player on social media, stating, “This is a very sad day for the [Modesto City Football Club] family and the Modesto, California area. Our condolences go out to the family.”
A GoFundMe campaign established for Gomez described him as “a very joyful, loved young man who loved to dance and loved to have a good time,” adding that he was “always with a smile, brightening everyone’s day.” The campaign further noted he was “a great friend, son, brother, uncle, cousin and father” and that his death has left loved ones with “a profound sadness that is hard to fathom."
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal collapse.
This incident follows another trench tragedy in Stockton in August, where two workers were killed in a similar construction site collapse.