SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A concrete porch collapsed and killed a termite exterminator Monday afternoon in Curtis Park.Capt. Jim Doucette, with the Sacramento Fire Department, said two workers were underneath a vacant house on the 2800 block of 27th Street at about 1:30 p.m. when the porch fell on them.
"In my experience, almost 30 years, it's a freak accident," Doucette said.
Rescuers used air bags to lift a 4-foot by 6-foot concrete slab, weighing at least 1,000 pounds, off the victim. Although crews got to the home within minutes, it took nearly a half-hour to pull the man from under the massive slab. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"He was a good man, a good provider," said Leslie Osterhoudt, the victim's wife.
She identified the man as Russell Osterhoudt, who has a current pest control license with the state of California.
Doucette said it's not clear why the porch collapsed, but he said the house probably was built in the 1920s.
Osterhoudt was removing dry rot at the time, according to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The agency said it could take up to six months to complete its investigation into the worker's death.
The other worker under the house wasn't hurt.
A caretaker had been living at the home until recently, but the owner passed away several months ago. Family members were trying to get the home ready to sell.
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