Lee County mine worker dies in sunken construction vehicle, 911 call released

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — A day on the job at Bell Mine on State Road 82 ended in tragedy Monday when an equipment operator became trapped underwater in a construction vehicle.

A worker called 911 reporting the emergency. The caller remained calm, providing dispatchers with critical information to help rescue the woman.

"I have an equipment operator stuck in a piece of equipment underwater," the worker said.

The worker told dispatchers the water was 10 to 20 feet deep. As they waited for help to arrive, some workers took matters into their own hands.

"I've got one of my other supervisors is actually at the at the truck trying to break the window to get her out," the worker said. "The water is very dirty."

The worker later added he couldn't hold his breath long enough to reach her.

The 911 call revealed the driver was inside an off-road haul truck. The massive vehicle is designed to move large amounts of materials across terrain in mines and other work sites. How the woman ended up in the water is still under investigation.

"Do not go in the water unless it's safe to do so, if possible, throw a floatable object out to the person to have them hold onto," the dispatcher said.

Lee County deputies and fire rescue responded to the scene. The worker explained the location was challenging to reach.

"I've been told they're on property. It's 500 acres, so it takes a while to get back in," the worker said.

Everything except the tires of the construction vehicle was submerged. During the call, the worker said the woman had already been underwater for several minutes.

"She's still in the truck. We can't get her out," the worker said.

According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office report, a deputy removed the windshield of the construction vehicle to remove her body. The rescue mission had turned into a recovery mission.

WINK News reached out to OSHA. The agency confirmed it is investigating but is not releasing any more details at this time.