Cemetery worker pinned in grave by 800-pound vault cover

EAST HANOVER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A cemetery worker was temporarily trapped in a grave he was digging, a New Jersey cemetery said. Peter Ferencze, 59, of Flemington, was digging a grave Tuesday afternoon when an 800-pound vault cover fell on top of him, pinning him in the open grave, according to a Hanover Cemetery spokesperson.

The Daily Record reports emergency responders rushed to exhume Ferencze by digging out the vault cover then manually lifting the cover out of the grave.

The cemetery said Ferencze has been released from the hospital after suffering chest injuries. An unidentified co-worker was also transported to the hospital for evaluation.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will conduct an investigation. OSHA does not comment on active investigations.