The worker killed in a tragic trench collapse outside of a restaurant on Cape Cod on Tuesday morning is being remembered as a kind and generous man who would do anything for anyone.
Boston 25 News spoke with Rick Barlow, a longtime friend and neighbor of 61-year-old Miguel Reis, who described the Fall River man as beloved by both family and friends.
“Anybody he met, he just took him in with open arms. There was nobody in that neighborhood who would dislike him," Barlow described. “He would help anybody out. The coldest day in winter, he would take his coat off for somebody to keep them warm."
Barlow described how he became friends with Reis when he moved to Reis’ neighborhood in 2010.
“There was a 50-year-storm. Everybody’s house flooded out,” Barlow said. " My house was one of those that flooded out and he was the first neighbor to come by and help out. And ever since then, we became very good friends. Almost like family.”
“When you buy a house, you always wonder what the neighbors gonna be like,” Barlow went on. “Hopefully, you have good neighbors, and our luck, we had one of the best neighbors you could ever find.”
Barlow also shared how Reis held an annual feast on his property, hosting hundreds of people and give the leftovers to the homeless.
“I can tell the community is coming together for this family and that’s really good because they do so much for the community. It’s nice to see the community give back,” Barlow said.
The incident occurred yesterday just before 9 a.m., when authorities responded to a call for a trench collapse in front of the Skipper Restaurant and Chowder House on South Shore Drive.
Upon arrival, crews found two people trapped under the trench. A third person tried to jump in and aid in rescuing the victims, but got stuck. They were eventually able to get out of the trench themselves, but had to be hospitalised.
Two other people were injured and taken to the hospital.
Reis leaves behind his wife and two adult children, a daughter and a son.
"He loved his children more than anything in the world. Loved this wife," detailed Barlow.
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