A father who went to work yesterday morning never returned home following a tragic incident at a West Quebec quarry. The excavator he was working in was crushed by at least one landslide; burying him alive in thirty-metres of sand and stones. Police say he is dead but they can’t safely remove him yet.

Friends in the man's hometown of Bouchette, Que confirmed to CTV News today; he is Daniel Dompierre.

The workplace tragedy took place in the village of Farrellton in La-Pêche, near Highway 105. CTV News has learned the quarry belongs to Ronald O'Connor Construction. Today, staff on-site refused requests for comment asking their privacy be respected.  

Police will not confirm Dompierre’s idenitity until he is removed and his body properly identified.

“We do really understand it is really difficult for the family so that’s why we are in solution-mode with our partners to find solutions to access the site and extract the victim as soon as possible in a safe way because right now it is not safe”  said Sgt. Martin Fournel with MRC des Collines-de-l’Outaouais Police.

Police and government agencies are conducting separate investigations to determine what happened and whether it could have been prevented.

“Our goal today is to be able to extract the victim as soon as possible from the machinery in a safe way…with the landslide, it is practically all buried” said Fournel.

It is expected crews will be able to remove the body Monday.