Crater opens into sidewalk and man passing by is swallowed by the hole
A man was “swallowed” by a crater that opened in a sidewalk (watch above) in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, in the south of Espírito Santo, last Monday (1st). Orthopedic doctor Eurípedes Fernando Melo, 84 years old, was walking on the sidewalk when, suddenly, the floor gave way and he fell into a hole measuring about 2 meters.
O g1 prepared a point by point information about what is known about the case so far. In this report, you will find:
The accident occurred on Avenida Francisco Lacerda de Aguiar, in the Gilberto Machado neighborhood, in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, in the south of Espírito Santo, at 9:19 am on Monday (1st). The man was walking on the sidewalk with just an envelope in his hand when he passed in front of a property. Suddenly, the crater opened and part of the property’s wall also fell on him, already inside the hole.
The man who fell into the crater was identified as Euripedes Fernando Melo, 84 years old. He is an orthopedic doctor and, according to people, he parked on the avenue and went to a hospital for an exam. When he was returning to the vehicle and passed in front of the property, the accident happened.
Who provided first aid?
Videos show rescue of doctor who was ‘swallowed’ by sidewalk crater
At another point in the images, a group tried to get a rope to try to get him out of the hole. It is possible to see the victim lying down with three people around him. Euripides had his arms behind his head.
Afterwards, a medical rescue team arrived with a stretcher and managed to remove him from there. Euripides was taken to an ambulance, and people applauded the work of the rescuers. The doctor was taken to a private hospital in the city.
What injuries did the victim have?
Even with the impressive image of the fall, Euripides only had a fracture in his femur. The doctor underwent surgery on the same day as the accident and was then taken to the ICU. This Tuesday (2), according to the son, he would be taken to a room, but there was no confirmation of the day of hospital discharge.
What is the possible cause of the accident?
After the accident, the Espírito Santo Regional Engineering and Agronomy Council (Crea-ES) was on site to carry out an examination. According to the agency, a rupture — probably caused by the roots of a tree close to the site — was identified in the mixed drainage network (water and sewage) in the region.
“We believe that there was a leak there. This water began to remove the layer of soil and other elements there from the base and close to the pavement, which caused the sinking of the sidewalk, the sidewalk and consequently the collapse of the wall”, explained Erivelto Diogo da Silva, Crea engineer.
When asked about the case, the city hall informed that “a study is being carried out and there is no way to confirm, yet, that the existing tree at the site was responsible for the damage to the network”.
The report also sought out the concessionaire responsible for water and sewage services in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, BRK. According to the company, the incident is not related to the water and sewage pipes on site.
“The water supply and sewage collection networks in that section operate without any damage”, informed the company in a note.
BKT also informed that an inspection identified that the problem is inherent to the drainage system (rainwater) in that section.
Could it happen again?
According to the Secretary of Works of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, Rodrigo Bolelli, the rainwater network in the section where the accident occurred is old, with around 30 years of foundation.
The secretary also explained that another six points have old networks, some 40 years old. These drainages are located in the neighborhoods of Coronel Borges, Gilberto Machado, Marbrasa, Campo Leopoldina, Rui Pinto Bandeira and Linha Vermelha.
Bolelli also said that he does not believe in the possibility of other similar accidents in the municipality and highlighted that there are state resources for some works and the management is also looking for federal resources.
The report also contacted the Municipal Council of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, but received no response until the last update of this report.
What did the city hall say about the case?
Still on Monday afternoon, a Civil Defense team went to the scene and isolated the area. A team responsible for repairs began work on the same day.
On Tuesday, Cachoeiro City Hall reported that, according to preliminary information, the possibility is that the drainage network has been deteriorated due to time, as it has existed for more than 30 years.
What does the person responsible for the sidewalk say?
The person responsible for the sidewalk, owner of the house in front, is lawyer Arthur Buteri. He said there was no sign of risk at the location.
“On the outside, everything seemed normal. In fact, several people passed by on the sidewalk before the accident. We recovered the images and there was no indication that this was going to happen.”
Still according to Arthur, an engineer was called to assess what happened.
“We know that it is a place that, whenever it rains, people come and open, move, close. But we have already called an engineer and he will issue a correct report”, he concluded.
After the accident and after surgery, the orthopedist remains hospitalized, but there is still no date for his discharge. The son is optimistic and believes he should go home by April 5th.
“He had an open fracture of the femur and that’s it! There was no injury to the chest, abdomen or other parts of the body. He wasn’t even crushed, because in an accident like this the crushing of soft parts often leads to death. A living miracle”, pointed out the son.
