‘All of a sudden he was submerged in water:’ Westmont officials of water main worker who died doing repairs

A public works staffer became trapped in an underground water main vault and died Thursday, officials said.

Police officers and firefighters rushed to 60th Street and Deming Place about 11:45 a.m. to help Matt Heiden when a burst water main left him trapped in an underground vault, according to a statement from the village.

“All of a sudden he was submerged in water,” said village spokesman Larry McIntyre, who said nobody else on the maintenance crew he was with was injured during the accident.

Heiden, who had been trying to repair a water main break, was recovered from the vault at approximately 12:40 p.m. and found unresponsive. CPR and lifesaving measures were immediately administered but Heiden was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where he was pronounced dead at 1:07 p.m., according to the statement.

Heiden was originally hired with the village as a seasonal employee in 2019 and 2021. He was hired as a part-time water maintenance worker in September 2021 and recently moved to full time, according to the statement, which called his death a “tragedy.”

Heiden’s age was not given.

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