A Pocatello man was killed and two other men were rescued after a sewer pit caved in on them Wednesday in Rexburg. Ray O. Bowden, 43, 311 West Syphon, suffocated when the walls of a ditch collapsed. His nephew, Bill Bowden, 20, 103 Everett, was dug out of the ditch and suffered only a bruised leg. The third man, Keith Bell, 33, 924 Park, was in the ditch when it caved in but managed to escape without injury. The three men were in an excavation about 60 feet long, 20 feet wide and 10 feet deep. They were laying sewer pipe along South First West in Rexburg. Police Chief Bob Beebe said the escape of Bill Bowden and Bell was attributed to the presence of mind of Ray Bowden. As the ditch began to cave in, the Elder Bowden yelled from the bottom of the pit. Bill Bowden jumped from the trench, then saw that his uncle was being buried. He attempted to uncover Bowden but a second cave-in prevented rescue. Beebe said that after the first cave-in, Bill Bowden managed to uncover the face of his uncle. However, the second cave-in, about two minutes later, covered Ray Bowden with two to three feet of dirt and asphalt paving. Beebe said that Bill Bowden reported to him that a chunk of asphalt paving hit his uncle on the head during the second cave-in. Bill Bowden was covered to the waist by the second cave-in and Bell, who was about 10 feet from the two was covered to his knees. Rescue operations were started immediately after the cave-in. Policemen and firemen were called immediately and aided the operation. A resuscilator was applied to Bowden as soon as his face was uncovered. Dr. Leseter J. Peterson worked during rescue operations to revive Bowden. Bowden was take to Rexburg hospital where he was pronounced dead. Doctors at the hospital attributed the death to suffocation. Ray Orland Bowden was born April 3, 1917, in Lewiston, Utah, to James Robert and Ruth LaPreal Orchard Bowden. The family moved to Fort Hall and then to Tyhee when Bowden was a year old. He married Ramona Contant Nov. 15, 1937, in Lewiston, Utah. They had received their temple endowments in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple in February, 1960. Bowden was a veteran of World War II and worked for the J.R. Simplot Co. until three years ago when he went into business for himself. He had been at the Rexburg job for a week. He was an elder in the Twenty-fifth Ward, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and had been the leader of the Deacon's Quorum. He also taught Sunday School and was a ward teacher. Survivors include his widow, his mother, Mrs. Wesley H. Levell; a son, Daryl Lawrence; four daughters, Mrs. Bernard L. Hofman, American Falls, Mrs. John Wyant, Rhonda Lee and Laurita Kay Bowden,all of Pocatello; two brothers, Doyle R. Bowden of Pocatello and William Alvin Bowden, Cueutin (?), Colombia, South America; two sisters, Mrs. Robert Scott, Pocatello, and Mrs. Glen Bennett, Placerville, Calif., and one grandchild. A brother, Lawrence Briscoe, died in World War II action. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Manning Funeral Chapel.

Idaho State Journal
20 October 1960