Plumber in deep, deep trouble Emergency workers work to free the 17-year-old apprentice plumber / Pic: David Shaw Source: The Daily Telegraph A PLUMBING apprentice was seriously hurt when crushed by a concrete slab on a job site in Sydney's south west yesterday. The 17-year-old had been digging a trench underneath a driveway at a home in Earlwood when the concrete collapsed around him shortly after 10am. Early reports indicated recent rains had saturated the soil and made it unstable. The teenager spent almost two hours in agony as emergency services worked to release his legs, pinned under the heavy load. Concerned workmates watched on as the teen was given oxygen and pain relief by paramedics. He was treated for shock at the scene and eventually transported to St George Hospital, accompanied by his father. The youth was last night listed in a stable condition and was undergoing X-rays to his legs. It is believed the teen had only started his plumbing apprenticeship this month. A police spokesman said he was standing in the trench when it collapsed around him. "A trench had been dug to remove some old pipes," the spokesman said. The trench collapsed.