Body of man trapped in Dulles tunnel collapse found

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Airport fire rescue workers Monday found the body of a construction worker trapped in a collapsed pedestrian tunnel at Dulles International Airport almost a week ago, airport officials said.

A seven-man crew found the body of Robert Parson Jr., who worked for the Omaha, Nebraska-based Kiewit Construction Co., about 30 feet underground, said Tara Hamilton, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

Parson, 50, was working with three other men two thirds into the 770-foot tunnel -- which will eventually house a moving walkway -- when a section of it collapsed last Wednesday, said Hamilton said. The tunnel is to connect the main terminal to a concourse.

The three other men escaped unharmed, Hamilton said.

Rescue workers tried unsuccessfully to recover the body for nearly a week.

They were able to reach the area after Kiewit Construction crews started excavating the surface above the site Saturday, Hamilton said. Parson's body was found around midday on Monday.

Nearly 200 people participated in the effort to rescue Parson, including rescue crews from Virginia's Fairfax County, which aided in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing rescue mission.

Officials at Kiewit Construction were not immediately available to comment on the accident. Hamilton said it was still not clear what caused the tunnel section to cave in.

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