Construction worker Lauro Pacheco killed after trench collapse in St. James

A Bay Shore man working on the installation of cesspool rings in St. James was killed Monday after the excavated dirt of the trench collapsed around him, authorities said.

Lauro Pacheco, 38, an employee of Bay Shore-based Darius Masonry Inc., was leveling a newly installed cesspool ring at a property on Piper Lane when the excavated dirt collapsed into the hole, according to Suffolk County police.

Rescue workers responded in force at about 2:25 p.m. and initially used an excavator and front loader to remove the dirt in an effort to reach Pacheco, police said.

The rescue efforts continued into the evening, with firefighters from numerous departments working under muddy conditions and with temperatures near freezing.

After nearly six hours, Pacheco was removed from the hole and pronounced dead, police said.

Suffolk police homicide investigators and Fourth Squad officers and detectives were investigating the incident, officials said.

A representative from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was also at the scene.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.