MCLOUD, OK -- So many questions remain following the death of two construction workers near McLoud, Tuesday afternoon. They were digging a hole for a septic tank at a housing edition near the Kickapoo Casino, when the dirt walls around them collapsed.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating, but tribal land leaders are remaining tight-lipped about the situation.
A spokesperson for the OSHA regional office in Dallas says they have six months to complete their investigation, but they don't know whether they can regulate tribal land.
The scene Tuesday afternoon was disturbing.
Heavy machinery digging for two construction workers who were buried alive after loose soil collapsed on top of them in a trench.
Within minutes, the Jacktown Fire Department managed to locate the men, but it was already too late.
"We were digging with our hands and shovels and managed to clear both their heads to gain access to their airways," says Chief Greg Ford, "but both were deceased at that time."
The Medical Examiners office says the victims were Keith Haddox and Justin Johnson.
According to Kickapoo Tribal Police, both worked for a contractor hired by the Kickapoo Housing Authority.
On the phone, the Housing Authority hung up on us without releasing the name of the contractor.
Entry gates were locked at their office Tuesday.
The trench was filled with dirt today; a Kickapoo police officer kicked us off the property.
"You're trespassing on federal trust land," he said. "You can't come out here by yourself, ok? You can stay across the road, but you can't be on federal trust land."
Ford says there was absolutely no shoring set up to prevent a collapse, which is a violation of OSHA safety standards. He says dirt fell as fast as they could dig.
"The best we can hope for right now is that there will be additional education and maybe some changes made to prevent it from happening in the future."
The Medical Examiner's office does not have an official cause of death for Haddox and Johnson.
A fund has been set up to help Justin Johnson's family at the Arvest bank in Shawnee.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating, but tribal land leaders are remaining tight-lipped about the situation.
A spokesperson for the OSHA regional office in Dallas says they have six months to complete their investigation, but they don't know whether they can regulate tribal land.
The scene Tuesday afternoon was disturbing.
Heavy machinery digging for two construction workers who were buried alive after loose soil collapsed on top of them in a trench.
Within minutes, the Jacktown Fire Department managed to locate the men, but it was already too late.
"We were digging with our hands and shovels and managed to clear both their heads to gain access to their airways," says Chief Greg Ford, "but both were deceased at that time."
The Medical Examiners office says the victims were Keith Haddox and Justin Johnson.
According to Kickapoo Tribal Police, both worked for a contractor hired by the Kickapoo Housing Authority.
On the phone, the Housing Authority hung up on us without releasing the name of the contractor.
Entry gates were locked at their office Tuesday.
The trench was filled with dirt today; a Kickapoo police officer kicked us off the property.
"You're trespassing on federal trust land," he said. "You can't come out here by yourself, ok? You can stay across the road, but you can't be on federal trust land."
Ford says there was absolutely no shoring set up to prevent a collapse, which is a violation of OSHA safety standards. He says dirt fell as fast as they could dig.
"The best we can hope for right now is that there will be additional education and maybe some changes made to prevent it from happening in the future."
The Medical Examiner's office does not have an official cause of death for Haddox and Johnson.
A fund has been set up to help Justin Johnson's family at the Arvest bank in Shawnee.
