Around 10:00 Friday morning, Sublette County first responders were dispatched to Navajo Path in Boulder for a report of a man trapped in a ditch.
Once on scene, first responders located a backhoe on private property that had trenched a ditch approximately 25 feet long and approximately 8 to 10 feet deep. A large slab of earth had come free from one of the trench edges and collapsed on a person who was in the ditch at the time, covering most of his body up to his head.
Sublette County First Responders began removing dirt and earth utilizing the backhoe and shovels until they could reach vitals on the individual. There was no pulse and the man was not breathing. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man was identified as 63-year-old Boulder resident Gale Roberts, who was the homeowner. He and an acquaintance were attempting to install a French drain to keep water that was seeping from a nearby ditch into his crawl space.