Worker's Death in Retaining Wall Collapse

0:00It's March 25th. Welcome in. This is Vancouver News today, where local news meets AI. A 50-year-old construction worker named Charles Spence passed away Monday night after a retaining wall collapsed on him during a job in Sanage. He was installing drainage pipes at a home on Ash Road when the Mason Restructure gave way, burying him in a trench alongside another worker. That coworker managed to escape and call for help right away, while an excavator operator on-site removed heavy concrete pieces. Firefighters and paramedics then dug Spence out and airlifted him to Victoria General Hospital, where he underwent several surgeries for crush ribs, pelvis, and lungs causing massive internal bleeding. His common law wife of 16 years and twin step sons are heartbroken, remembering him as a dedicated family man who stepped up as a father figure, especially after celebrating the boy's 20th birthday just days earlier. The sudden loss has left them reeling from what started as a routine workday. A fundraiser set up by one of the step-sons has already hit 65% of its $13,000 goal to

1:04support the family through this. Tough time. Meanwhile, work safe BC has opened an investigation to uncover safety issues and prevent future tragedies. The family supports the probe, hoping it brings clarity and keeps others safe on the job.