HICKMAN – A Ceres man was killed when a large trench in which he was working as an excavation crew member collapsed Friday morning.

Pablo Gomez, 34, died in the worksite mishap about five miles east of Hickman and Lake roads.

Stanislaus Consolidated Fire Protection District, Modesto and Turlock Fire crews responded to the emergency at around 10:24 a.m. to affect a rescue attempt that lasted nearly five hours. The incident drew more than 30 firefighters as well as Sheriff’s deputies and the Stanislaus County Community Emergency Response Team.

The work was hampered by having to shore up the unstable trench walls to prevent a secondary cave-in of the ground.

When they reached his body Gomez was declared dead at the scene.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is investigating the workplace death. Investigators are charged with examining conditions at the site to determine if trench shoring or protective systems were in place.

Gomez leaves behind his wife, Doris, two young daughters, and a son on the way.

The death left members of the local soccer community in mourning. Gomez was a former goal keeper in the Modesto City Football Club, a semi-professional soccer club founded in 2019.

Gomez also enjoyed training horses in his free time.

A GoFundMe account has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/f/pablo-gomez

The narrative of the page stated: “His passing leaves behind a profound sadness that is hard to fathom. Those of us who knew Pablo remember him as a cheerful, beloved guy who loved to dance and have a blast; he always had a smile on his face, brightening our days — including through his livestreams.”

As of Tuesday morning $4,820 of the $6,000 goal was realized.