The man trapped inside his Connellsville building was back home on Tuesday after Monday's scary ordeal, only suffering bumps and bruises. Meanwhile, the structure is being demolished after Mayor Charles Matthews' state of emergency declaration.
Brian Upton, 29, of Connellsville was working on the fourth floor of his building at 126-130 S. Pittsburgh St. at about 5:30 p.m. Monday when it collapsed, crashing him to the second floor and leaving him trapped.
Upton told the Daily Courier's news partners at WPXI that he dialed his wife with his cell phone as he was trapped under debris.
"Whenever it started going down, it just turned black. I didn't black out, but yet there was no light," Upton said. "That's what's crazy. I lost everything out of my pockets except my phone. How I got it out, I don't know."
Upton told his wife that she needed to head to the building and that he didn't think he was going to make it.
Upton, who lost his left leg in a hunting accident about 10 years ago, said he couldn't move as firefighters used chainsaws to get to him.
"I was pinned in there pretty good. For what they had to do, they did a great job," Upton said.
Crews rescued Upton from the building just before 6:30 p.m. Rescuers reported that Upton remained conscious and spoke with them during the operation.
Two others inside the building escaped without injuries. Officials did not name them.
Bob Topper, administrative director of Fayette EMS and New Haven Hose Company chief, said only four men at a time could work to free Upton because of instability within the building.
Although Upton was transported by STAT MedEvac helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment and evaluation, he said he only suffered a brush burn on his forehead and some other bumps and bruises. He said he's grateful to be alive so he can take care of his wife and four children.
"The only thing going through my mind was, 'God don't let me die. I have kids.' That's the only thing that kept going through my mind," Upton said.
Demolition of the building started yesterday with Ritenour and Sons, Connellsville, doing the work.
Matthews said the city will work on who will be responsible for the demolition.
"We're going to get it torn down," Matthews said. "It will take at least the rest of this week and maybe next week. We don't want to endanger any structures across the street."
Matthews asked residents and everyone traveling through the city for patience. "We're trying to keep people safe," he said.
The block of South Pittsburgh Street between West Crawford and Fairview avenues will remain closed to vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic until the building has been demolished.
The building has deteriorated over the years, and Upton has been working since last week to render the structure safe. A 3-foot section of bricks on the south side of the building fell to Pittsburgh Street and an alley next to the building during a heavy thunderstorm Thursday evening.
