Three employees of a Hattiesburg, Miss.-based contractor were killed on March 21 when a trench they were working in collapsed, burying them in 8 ft of clay and dirt. The accident happened about 10:30 a.m. while the workers Leonardo Navarro Diaz, 30; Brandon Edward Rathbone, 19; and Wayne Dale Kelly, 55were connecting sewer lines for a new Sam’s Club distribution center. All were employed by utility contractor American Air Specialists of Mississippi Inc. John Brown, a spokesman for the city of Hattiesburg, says the unsuccessful rescue operation involved time-consuming shoring and digging. American Air says it is “working with the proper authorities, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and local officials, to gather information.”