In the evening hours of Jan. 30, Roberta "Bobbie" Briefman, 33, was on an emergency assignment at Armitage and Keeler streets in Chicago. As an employee of Reliable Construction and Equipment Co., she was restoring wires and cables that had been accidentally clipped by another utility company which had been doing work in that area.
Due to the nature of the emergency and the time Briefman was given to finish the job, no sheeting or jacks were placed against the dirt walls of the pit where she worked.
"I was restoring these cables," said Briefman, "and I remember turning my head a certain way and the walls and everything collapsed on me and I was buried." The weight of the dirt and cement from the sidewalk above folded Briefman over&emdash;her knees were to her face, crushing her spinal cord.
Briefman's hard hat prevented any damage to her head, but she was buried completely. She attempted to move her head so as to use her hard hat as a shovel and dig away the dirt that was blocking her breathing. Briefman's work partner rushed to the pit and quickly dug out a space to allow Briefman to breathe.
"If it wasn't for my co-worker [ Felipe ] digging my head out I wouldn't be here today," said Briefman.
When emergency crews showed up, it took them about 45 minutes to dig Briefman out. She was rushed to Illinois Masonic Hospital where she underwent spinal surgery and then was placed in Surgical ICU.
The accident received major coverage in Chicago's mainstream media, and the Fire Department said the cause of the collapse was unknown.
"I've had rods and pins put in my spine," said Briefman. After the surgery, Briefman has experienced 15% feeling in her left leg but no movement as of yet.
A longtime sports enthusiast, Briefman has been actively involved in recreational sports since 1990 and has often been found on the softball field, basketball or volleyball courts. As a sports supporter "Bobbi," as her friends and teammates affectionately call her, sponsors her teams with funds from her own pocket, an act she says she does because "I love my girls."
Reaction to the news of Briefman's mishap from her teammates and friends has been that of positive support. "She's a very kind person," said fellow teammate Ceydi Mendoza, "and spiritually strong ... she'll bounce back in no time."
"It's not going to keep me down," Briefman told Windy City Times from her hospital bed. "It's a challenge to me and it's more or less the Lord telling me that it's not my time to go and I'm gonna make it. I've missed everybody and I can't wait to be a part of their lives again with sports and any other activities I seem to get myself into."
Letters and tokens of support and well wishes should be sent to Roberta "Bobbi" Briefman, 3353 W. 65th St., Chgo, IL 60629.
