Winfield man dies in cave-in

Staff Writer

      A Winfield man was killed on Saturday as he was doing volunteer work for the Winfield-Mt. Union High School.

      According to Winfield Police Chief Richard Hand, Kenneth Kongable, 41, was digging in a 13-foot-deep trench installing sewer line that would be used for the concession stand at the high school football field when the trench collapsed. Kongable was buried under four feet of dirt and another worker, Rodney Reynolds, was buried up to his waist. Reynolds was freed and taken for treatment at the Henry County Health Center. Kongable was freed and transported by air to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics where he was pronounced dead.

      Hand said the men were connecting sewer pipe when they noticed the walls of the trench starting to crumble. There were no supports being used on the walls of the trench. Hand said Kongable was bent over connecting the pipe and was not able to get out of the way of the collapsing walls.