ED Doctor Near Bethesda, MD

A dramatic and unusual rescue operation took place in Montgomery County on Tuesday.

Two construction workers were hospitalized after a trench caved in, leaving them trapped in a mound of dirt.

What we know:

The incident happened as the two men were working on a house.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue officials say crews were called to the scene in the 8100 block of Kentbury Drive in Bethesda around 12:15 p.m.

When they arrived, they found the two men partially buried in a narrow trench, about 10 to 12 feet deep and only a few feet wide.

Both men were conscious and able to communicate, but dirt had covered them up to near their waists, raising concerns about potential injuries.

"One of the victims was waist deep, and another one, they had dirt over their head," said Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Chief Corey Smedley.

Officials say the workers had some sort of plywood shoring in the trench, and that when the trench caved in, the shoring bent in such a way that it created a pocket of air.

That air helped the workers breathe while highly specialized teams made their way to the site.

Diligent work:

Chief Smedley says one of those specialized teams was the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma Go Team.

The other is a team of Montgomery County firefighters that trains for technical rescues.

"This is what we prepare for. We have a specialized group of guys that are hard workers, the ace of spades, guys that you want showing up for complex things like this, and you know, we train together regularly so that we can run incidents like this regularly and have them go like clockwork in order to have the best outcome for the patients and anybody else that might be in trouble," said Capt. Nathan Wondimu with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue.

The construction workers were taken to the hospital.

They are being referred to as trauma patients, but both are expected to survive.

Two workers were partially buried by dirt, according to Montgomery County Fire and EMS.

BETHESDA, Md. — Two construction workers were rescued Tuesday after being stuck in a ditch outside a Bethesda home, according to Montgomery County Fire and EMS.

First responders say they got the call around 12:15 p.m. Once they responded to the home near the intersection of Kentbury Drive and Newdale Road, they found three construction workers, two of them were entrapped by dirt inside a ditch.

Officials say it is still unclear how the collapse happened and how far down the two men were when they were trapped by dirt.

Montgomery County Fire Chief Corey Smedley told reporters one of the men had dirt up to his waist, the second nearly to his head. Both men were alert, breathing, and communicating as first responders tried to get them out.

Smedley said his team, which happened to be conducting technical training for these kinds of situations that day, asked for the support of state and federal first responders. He described a delicate and dangerous scene.

"We used buckets, we used airbags, we used different types of cribbing, as we call it, to secure the area so there would be no additional collapse," he explained. Vehicles were parked away from the scene because, according to Smedley, any vibration could have prompted an additional collapse.

The first man was trapped for about an hour before he was rescued and transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital to receive medical attention.

The second was trapped for about two hours and had just enough room to allow his chest to expand and continue breathing, according to first responders.

"Before we could even get all of the dirt away, the second victim came out of the ditch himself," Smedley said. He credited the fast response of his team for what he called the "most beautiful outcome you could ever have."

County and state officials are investigating what led to the collapse.

BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE, MD — The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will be providing adult bike and e-scooter classes in April, May and June.

While courses will be free for members of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association or the Capital Bikeshare for All, a $10 charge will be issued to other county residents signing up for bicycle classes.

Advance registration is required for all individuals seeking to sign up for a course, which is limited to those 18 and over. Each class has a max capacity of 25 people.

Visit WABA online to register for the bike lessons.

April registrations are active now, but, lists for May and June will not open to the public until 9 a.m. on April 2 and May 1, respectively. Make sure to bookmark those dates.

Anyone joining the "Learn to Ride" bicycle classes will be instructed on how to:

Those participating in the basic skills course should be able to ride a bike, as they will be using the allocated lesson times to practice those skills. MCDOT says the class will be overseen by experienced WABA officials.

Below are the locations where bicycle classes will be held in Bethesda-Chevy Chase:

A full list of nearby class locations can be found online.

In Bethesda-Chevy Chase, e-scooter classes will only be held on June 7, following the "Learn to Ride" class.

There is no charge or preregistration required for the e-scooter lessons. Anyone 18 or over with a valid driver's license or ID can participate.

MCDOT says "residents can drop-in anytime during the two-hour adult e-scooter classes immediately following the bike classes."

E-scooters and helmets will be provided.

Make-up dates for the May 17 and June 7 classes will take place two weeks after the original class date.

Inclement weather cancellations can be found online or by calling (240) 777-8380.

When the weather is bad and the kids need to burn some energy, head to one of these top indoor playgrounds for kids in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

While getting kids out of the house to blow off steam is a must for everyone's sanity, it's not easy on cold, hot, or rainy days. But there are lots of indoor play areas for children in DC and beyond that allow kids to crawl, run, jump, climb, and play to their hearts' content—without causing a storm inside your house. Many of these kids' play spaces include extra perks like free WiFi, cafes, fun classes, and more.

Here are 30 of the best indoor play areas for children in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia to visit on those bad-weather days. For more ideas for indoor fun near DC, check out our Guide to Indoor Playgrounds and Play Spaces for Kids in DC. You'll find our curated lists of everything from the best indoor rock climbing gyms to awesome trampoline parks.

Note: While many of these indoor playgrounds have membership options, we've only included play spaces that also offer drop-in play.

Inside the Rosedale branch of the Baltimore County Public Library you'll find Storyville, a child-sized village filled with books, toys, and activities for kids ages 0-5. The village includes a pretend grocery store and mailroom, a puppet stage and theater, a home living area, a construction zone, a library, a baby garden, and a toddler area. It's like having a free mini children's museum right inside the public library! Note: The Woodlawn library branch also has a Storyville, but as of January 2026 it was closed for renovation.

Q: Where can I take toddlers to play indoors in DC?A: Supervised kids' play spaces like Mulberry Lane Cafe, soft play centers like Bluemont Village, and indoor playgrounds with pretend towns like Play Street Museum are ideal for toddlers.

Q: Are there indoor play spaces suitable for birthday parties?A: Most of the indoor playgrounds on this list offer party packages, private rooms, or rentable areas, making them perfect kids' birthday party venues.

Q: Are there hidden or unusual indoor play spaces in DC?A: Yes! The Toy Nest is essentially a toy library you can play in, while Play N' Learn is a playground superstore where you're allowed to climb and play on the merchandise. There are even some hidden play spaces in restaurants!

Q: How can parents make indoor play visits easier?A: Bring snacks, plan around naps, and avoid weekends. Also check that the indoor play space has amenities you need, like changing stations and stroller accessibility.

All photos courtesy of the indoor playgrounds unless otherwise indicated

This post was originally published in 2019 and is updated annually.