2 men pinned under construction equipment in Oceanside
According to Chief Sean Costigan, of the Oceanside Fire Department, the men were working at Earth-Tec Recycling around 10:20 a.m. when they were pinned under a large conveyor belt.
Aug 25, 2025, 5:50 PM
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A terrifying incident unfolded Monday morning in Oceanside when two men became trapped under a massive piece of construction equipment, prompting a large emergency response.
According to Chief Sean Costigan, of the Oceanside Fire Department, the men were working at Earth-Tec Recycling around 10:20 a.m. when they were pinned under a large conveyor belt. One of the victims, a 68-year-old man, was stuck for over an hour.
“There was one individual pinned under the conveyer belt and he was bent over with his knees trapped in the machine,” said Chief Costigan.
Rescuers used stabilizers and airbags to lift the several-ton machine off the man. The complex extraction took about an hour. The 68-year-old was later airlifted by Nassau police helicopter from a nearby supermarket parking lot to the hospital, where he remains in critical but stable condition.
A second victim, a 62-year-old man, was also trapped but freed within minutes. He sustained injuries that were not considered life-threatening injuries, according to police.
Chief Costigan noted that the two men were believed to be in the process of dismantling the machine when the accident occurred.
Authorities have not released the names of the victims, and the investigation into what caused the equipment to collapse is ongoing.
