A New Wilmington man was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital Friday after being partially buried in a collapsed ditch.

Jim Cooper, 31, was listed in serious condition Saturday evening at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor.

While the rescuers were digging to rescue Cooper the walls of a 15-foot deep trench on an Amish farm on Fayette-Neshannock Falls Road continued to crumble. There was concern the rescuers would also become trapped.

Cooper was buried up to his chest in heavy, damp soil when the dirt walls of the ditch collapsed around 1:30 p.m.

New Wilmington Borough Fire Department crews were the first to arrive, followed by Noga paramedics and members of Volant Volunteer Fire Co.

About six firefighters and paramedics climbed into the ditch and dug around Cooper with shovels to free him. A witness said his legs had been wrapped around a tripod when the cave-in occurred.

Volant firefighter Sam Haines, who is Cooper's cousin, was one of the rescuers helping to dig. At the same time he braced a wall with his body.

Also working in the ditch were paramedics Shawn Johnson and Allen Martino; Luke DeRosa, an emergency medical technician; and Dick Wilson and Jeff Byler, members of New Wilmington fire department.

About 20 other firefighters surrounded the ditch to assist with the rescue.

Members of Neshannock Township Fire Department arrived with wooden cribbing to shore up the walls.

It took rescuers almost two hours to free Cooper. Strapped to a stretcher, he was lifted out of the ditch with the help of ropes tied to the stretcher. He was then transferred to a gurney and carried to a helicopter waiting about 50 yards away.

Cooper's father, Merle, was hired by Joe Mast to dig a ditch on his property for a waterline that would lead to a nearby spring, according to Mast's father, Dan J. The elder Cooper owns an excavating business with his two sons.

Merle Cooper declined comment.