By O’Dell Isaac
The Gazette
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado Springs firefighters on Tuesday rescued a man who was trapped inside a garbage truck, according to department officials.
At about 5 a.m., CSFD received a call from a sanitation worker who said a person was stuck in the rear compartment of his truck, according to department spokeswoman Ashley Franco.
“Apparently, this person had been seeking refuge in a dumpster overnight,” Franco said.
The driver emptied the dumpster into his truck and continued his morning rounds until he heard noises coming from inside the truck’s trash receptacle, officials said.
“He could hear someone on the inside of the truck, calling for help,” Franco said.
The driver then pulled into the parking lot at UCHealth Memorial Central Hospital and called CSFD.
“Our firefighters performed a technical rescue,” Franco said. “We used a ladder truck to make a kind of crane. Some of our people got into the (receptacle) of the truck to stabilize the patient, and they were able to place him into a basket, lift him out, and give him medical attention.”
“Luckily, the driver pulled in right next to a hospital.”
The names of the driver and patient were not released. It is not clear which dumpster the man had been sleeping in, Franco said.
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