JARRELL, Texas (FOX 44) – UPDATE: The victims in the trench collapse in Jarrell on June 28 have been identified.
The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed to FOX 44 News that the two men who died in the 24-foot-deep trench are 20-year-old Jimmy Lee Alvarado and 39-year-old Jose Vargas Ramirez, both of Florence, Texas.
The incident happened at a construction site near the frontage road close to 13700 northbound Interstate 35, at Exit #275. Jarrell Police Department crews responded and called for additional assistance from the Georgetown, Round Rock, and Austin Fire Departments’ technical rescue crews and the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office to help with recovery efforts.
The bodies of Ramirez and Alvarado were recovered the next day. They were digging a sewer line when they got trapped in the trench.
According to Alvarado’s obituary, he grew up in Jarrell and attended the Jarrell Independent School District. He played football for the Cougars, and graduated in 2019. He was also a husband and a father.
According to a GoFundMe set up for Ramirez, he was as a father of two sons, as well as being the only provider for his parents in Mexico. His funeral will be in Mexico, and they hope to raise money for the funeral expenses, as well as help cover the transportation costs for his sons to go to Mexico and attend the funeral.
There is also a GoFundMe set up for Alvarado, to help his family with funeral expenses.
The Sheriff’s Office says the investigation into the collapse is ongoing.