A new construction pole shed collapsed Wednesday, Jan. 11 in the town of River Falls with two people trapped inside.

According to a Pierce County Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy responded at 1:13 p.m. to W8892 770th Ave. where a 150-by-70 foot pole shed had collapsed. When police arrived, they saw the south wall had collapsed, causing several rafters to fall to the concrete floor below. Several people were running around the scene.

An employee for Rock Solid Construction said while attempting to put rafters up along two 20-foot sidewalls, one wall “fell out,” causing several rafter to fall down. The employee said the rafters each weighed 150 pounds.

Two employees, identified as Michael R. Flett, 60, and Timothy Dean Hedberg, 53, were trapped beneath the rafters. Police had several employees hold C-spine on the men while they used skill saws and sawzalls to cut the rafters into pieces to pull them off Hedberg, who was laying facedown. He eventually regained consciousness and said he had injured his back, right leg and hip. He could barely move. Flett, who was several feet from Hedberg, also complained of back and hip pain and a cut on his forehead. Police kept both men calm until EMS and fire department personnel arrived. EMS transported them to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

The case remains under investigation.