Ashley Piccirilli, a 32-year-old construction worker, faced a life-threatening ordeal in August 2021 when a trench collapsed, burying her alive at a job site in Northampton, Massachusetts. Four years later, Piccirilli, now a U.S. Army warrant officer in the Massachusetts National Guard, and her surgeon, Dr. Kristina Kramer, reflected on the harrowing incident and her remarkable recovery in a piece for PEOPLE.
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Trench Collapse
On her seventh day at a new construction job, Piccirilli worked in a trench 9 to 13 feet deep, laying sewer pipe. It was her first construction role, and as the only woman on-site, she strived to prove herself, she said. The summer heat intensified the challenge, but her excitement for the work kept her focused.
Then, disaster struck. The trench collapsed, engulfing her in dirt. "Right when it hit, everything went quiet — an eerie quiet," Piccirilli told PEOPLE. "The sound of the dirt was like a whoosh over my body. I'll never forget that sound."
Unable to move, with her eyes closed against the dirt, she felt an intense pressure, likening it to an uncomfortably tight bear hug.
Despite the dire situation, Piccirilli remained calm. "I never thought I would die," she said. "I knew they'd come get me."
Her military background helped her stay composed. "I told myself to take small breaths," she explained, unaware her lung was collapsed and ribs were broken. "If I had panicked, I would not be here today. I 100% believe that."
A Race to Save Her Life
Rescuers freed Piccirilli after about 30 minutes, but pain surged as they dug her out. "I started to panic, saying, 'Please, someone help me, I can't breathe,'" she recalled. Paramedics inserted a chest tube en route to the hospital, where Dr. Kramer, a surgeon at Baystate Health, took charge.
Dr. Kramer acted swiftly. "When I met Ashley in the trauma bay, her blood pressure was very low," Kramer said.
An ultrasound revealed internal bleeding, prompting immediate surgery. "Her abdomen was full of blood," Kramer noted, discovering a life-threatening injury to Piccirilli's vena cava vein. During surgery, Piccirilli's heart stopped, requiring Kramer to open her chest to repair the damage.
A second surgery followed to reconstruct Piccirilli's chest and close her abdomen. "Nearly all her ribs on her left side were crushed," Kramer said, describing the complexity of the procedure. Piccirilli spent 30 days in the hospital, with a year-long recovery ahead.
A Resilient Recovery
Piccirilli's recovery was grueling, but her determination shone through. "She pushed herself every day," Kramer said. "When she left the ICU, she needed help to stand, but she kept challenging herself to get stronger." Piccirilli's positive outlook was key. "Part of the reason Ashley recovered so well was her positive outlook on life," Kramer added.
Reflecting on her survival, Piccirilli credits her mental resilience. "Whenever something bad happens, I go through my checklist to fix it," she said. "That's what happened in that dirt."
