Courtesy Photo Holcim employee Daniel Tucker and his family, center, pose for a photo with the people who rescued him after the bulldozer he was operating plunged 80 feet into a hole at the plant and he became trapped in the machine. Alpena Fire Chief Rob Edmonds presented 17 people from Holcim, the fire department, and the Alpena Combat Readiness Center, who helped rescue Tucker, Life Safety Recognition awards during the Alpena Municipal Council meeting on Monday.

ALPENA — Seventeen local heroes who worked together to save a Holcim employee received Life Safety Recognition awards during the Alpena Municipal Council meeting on Monday.

The men are employees from the plant, the Alpena Fire Department, and the Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center.

The incident happened on Jan. 27 when Holcim employee Daniel Tucker was operating a bulldozer when it suddenly plunged front-first about 80 feet to the bottom of a hole in a 100-foot pile of rock and became trapped.

Alpena Fire Chief Rob Edmonds said it took hard work and bravery from everyone involved in the daring rescue.

After the machine fell into the cone-shaped hole, Edmonds said the quick work of the plant’s employees helped set the stage for a rescue when the fire department arrived. He said the employees used their work radios to communicate with the driver to be sure he was OK and shared information about the bulldozer to firefighters who needed to extract him from it.

“They made contact with him to be sure he was OK and they provided critical communications with our team so we knew what we were dealing with,” Edmonds said. “They knew the equipment he was trapped in so they were able to tell us what the best way was to access him if we had any problems.”

Before they could remove Tucker from the machine though, a high-altitude rescue had to be conducted. Edmonds said there were two rescue methods considered. The first option was to utilize a 130-foot cable crane with a basket that would lower a crew into the hole and allow for access to the operator and removal from the machine.

That option was determined not to be the best measure to take.

Instead, the second option was used, where a rope system lowered a rescuer to the victim. The rescue began about 150 feet above the bulldozer, Edmonds said.

First responders train for this type of maneuver, which is called a high-angle rescue, but Edmonds said it is the first time this type of rescue has been done in his 29-year career at the Alpena Fire Department.

Because of the height the rescue began at, and how far down Tucker was in the machine, Edmonds said there was a lot of risk involved in the rescue, including having the pile of rock give way further.

“Our biggest concern was that the pile would collapse because it was unstable and that the rock would bury the victim and rescuers at the bottom of the pile,” Edmonds said.

The call was made to only send one firefighter, Jim Bolanowski, into the hole to extract Tucker, and the other first responders coordinated and executed the plan to remove him from the hole and treat him for his minor injuries.

Edmonds said Tucker luckily avoided serious injury and only received a laceration to his head.

From the time the 911 call was placed until the scene was cleared, the rescue took just over four hours.

The firefighters who were involved in the rescue are also in line for more appreciation. Edmonds said State Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, will visit the department on March 14 to present the first responders state recognition certificates.

Alpena Life Safety Recognition recipients

HOLCIM

Michael McEwen

Cash Wortley

Codey White

Jarid Campbell

CRTC

Captain Chad Kamischke

Chris Wilson

Justin Wethington

Corey Culham

ALPENA FIRE DEPARTMENT

Captain Tyler Suszek

Lieutenant Andy Williams

Dean Rivard

Phil Curley

Ryan Wright

Jim Bolanowski

Lee Babcock

Adam McNeill

Deputy Chief Andy Marceau

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.