California emergency workers recovered the body of a man buried in the collapse of a swimming pool under construction. Firefighters filled the streets of a gated Orange County community Saturday, December 19, 2020. They removed the body of a man who had died after being buried under soil that collapsed on top of him and a crew that were excavating an area for an inground swimming pool, authorities said.

Swimming Pool Collapse Buries Pool Contractor Luciano Gonzalez Munoz

The victim, a pool contractor identified as Luciano Gonzalez Munoz, 45, died as he was digging a swimming pool wall for a project that he was working on , according to Supervising Deputy Coroner Larry Esslinger.

Firefighters had to bring in an outside commercial construction company with a massive crane in order to help them haul out tons of dirt and debris from the backyard in the 6200 block of Cliffway Drive.

Orange FD confirms a worker died after he was buried under soil that collapsed on him while working in hole excavated to install a backyard swimming pool on Cliffway Drive. About 75 personnel are on scene attempting to recover the body. Story coming. @ocregister

— Nathan Percy (@NDPercy) December 19, 2020

Early Sunday morning, experts brought in the crane attached to a 3,000 pound rectangular steel drum. Workers then used the drums to scoop out enough dirt in order recover the mans body. The huge crane itself blocked off most of the street for hours and left the entire area congested with police and fire vehicles.

The man was buried midmorning while building a pool wall on Saturday. O’Connor said firefighters got an emergency 9-11 call about a man trapped in a collapsed pool at the home just before 11 a.m. By the time they arrived, other workers were already at the site desperately trying to dig out the man. The victim was buried up to his neck complained of having difficulty breathing.

Concerned about the unstable soil of the cliffside, the firefighters evacuated workers, then began digging themselves. Approximately 30 minutes later, a second collapse caused the victim to be completely buried. After several hours without being able to communicate with the man, the fire crews switched the operation from a rescue to a body recovery. Coroner’s officials and Cal OSHA were investigating.

O’Connor said the fire department had trauma counselors on standby to talk to the man’s coworkers and boss who immediately came to the job site. The unfortunate homeowners, were also apparently home throughout the entire ordeal, were also visited by the crisis counseling team.

Nilson Silva owner of Mastertouch Pools, a Parkland, FL based Pool Company – has fast become recognized as one of the industries leading pool designers. This incredible 3D entry showcases his adept ability and mastery of the industry standard in 3D rendering – Pool Studio. An expert at inground pool design and one of leading Parkland, FL pool builders, Nilson has been designing pools since his teens.

As a serial entrepreneur, Nilson is also an accomplished software designer. He recently created and released a Pool Service software that has taken social media by storm. The app called Routely is available for download in the iTunes store and has been downloaded and used by thousands of pool service companies across the country.

It’s an impressive resume that the young Parkland, FL native has developed. Not only running a successful and thriving pool company, but also releasing a hot new app that has developed fast adaptation and a loyal userbase.

Silva is being watched closely by industry experts who can’t help but to convey astonishment that he is wunderkind of sorts. His prowess as one of the industries leading pool designers is undeniable. This entry to Pool Designers – TOP Pool Designer competition symbolizes the sleek, elegant and sophisticated pool concepts being built in Parkland, FL today.

When asked why he has a passion for 3D design as his chosen art form, Silva replied:

It’s clear that this Parkland, FL pool builder has the innate ability to capture the essence of the outdoor lifestyle homeowners are looking for. Locals seem to love his pool designs as this has been without a doubt one of the companies busiest years to date. When asked if he attributes the success to the Covid-19 pandemic as many other local builders have, Silva replied “You know it’s funny because in our case, it’s been more sales from referrals from past clients this year than anything else. I feel like our success this year is mostly derived from the fact that homeowners in Parkland are starting to spread the word.”

Certainly an incredible entry by one of the most talented pool designers in Florida. View more great examples from hot new pool designers in Florida.

Parties interested in participating in Pool Magazine’s TOP Pool Designer competition should visit PoolDesigners.com who are administering the competition on behalf of Pool Magazine. Artists interested in participating in the competition can submit a 3d rendering or video for consideration as a candidate for Top Pool Designer. The winner receives a year long subscription to 3D Rendering Software Pool Studio as well as having their design showcased on the cover of Pool Magazine.

Luxury pools are all the rage right now. Building your own backyard resort has never been more popular than ever. While it’s not absolutely necessary to achieve a resort style look with a gunite pool, it’s often the go to choice for seasoned veteran pool builders.

Gunite Pools offer customization that you won’t find in a fiberglass pool. A gunite pool can be shaped into nearly any desired form. Because they are constructed of concrete they are remarkably durable.

Why are Gunite Pools so Popular?

Luxury pools incorporate many customization options. Customers opt for features like grottos, waterfalls, jump rocks, raised spas and custom shapes.

Please note that we are ommitting Vinyl Liner pools from this conversation. Typically you will not find a vinyl liner pool in many luxury homes. The split is fairly even 75% Gunite / 25% Fiberglass as of this writing. Vinyl Liner pools are a more budget friendly option.

Popular With Luxury Homeowners

Why are more resort style pools typically gunite pools? We asked a builder of luxury inground pools and gunite pool expert Aaron Rogers his viewpoint. Rogers had this to say on the subject of Gunite Pools.

Gunite Pools are traditionally the go to choice for most luxury pool builders. A gunite pool allows for more flexibility in terms of design and construction.

Aaron rogers – southern poolscapes

“Discerning customers with high end luxury homes want their pool constructed from the very best materials. Luxury home owners typically opt for a gunite pool. They know they are highly customizable and extremely durable.”

Fiberglass pools have certainly come a long way in recent years. There are manufacturers that have a deep catalog of fiberglass pool designs. Maintenance is often a factor of consideration. Are fiberglass pools easier to maintain?

We asked this question to Pool Service expert Jeffery Johnston, owner of Quality Clear Pools. We asked him as a pool service company, do Service technicians typically prefer Fiberglass pools over Gunite Pools?

Johnston has mixed feelings on the subject. He explained that they both have their benefits. Johnston said he could see why certain service companies may prefer a fiberglass pool at least when it comes to ease of maintenance. In fact, Johnston had this to say on the subject:

Gunite pools need to be properly maintained and are made of porous materials that can often be a breeding ground for algae.

Jeffery johnston – quality clear pools

Paul Putcher, owner of Pool Keepers a pool service company in East Texas agrees and said “I’ve been in the pool industry over 30 years. In my experience most luxury homeowners have a Gunite Pool in their backyard. This is often true even in fiberglass predominant markets. Pool maintenance costs aside, people want what they want.”

Most Popular Pool Type

Gunite Pools are the most popular inground pool type in America currently, at least when it comes to higher end homes. There is one undeniable fact though – Fiberglass pools are easier to factory mold and drastically cut down on how long it takes to build a pool. So why aren’t they more popular?

Gunite Pools vs Fiberglass Pools

Typically a fiberglass inground pool cost is the same as a gunite. There are certainly pros and cons in going with either choice. Cost isn’t much of a determining factor. We recommend if you are considering buying a resort style pool that you consider the following:

1. Is it important to you that your pool is highly customizable in terms of design?
2. Do you want the interior of your pool to have a smooth fiberglass touch, a plaster touch, or a pebble interior?
3. When it comes down to gunite vs fiberglass pools it’s really customization vs speed and ease of use. A gunite pool can be transformed into nearly any desired shape with any features you can imagine they do however typically require more maintenance than fiberglass pools.
4. With a fiberglass pool you will save on construction time, but may pay extra for logistics costs of shipping and placing the shell into the exacavated hole.

In closing, Aaron Rogers had this to say “The costs of transporting a fiberglass pool and having a boom crane operator swing this enormous fiberglass shell over the house are what put alot of homeowners off. That and the limitations on customization that you can do to the actual pool itself are what make gunite pools the most popular decision for luxury pools”.