Trending Topics

San Francisco firefighters rescue man trapped in sewer pipe

Firefighters reportedly had to wait for an OSHA permit before entering the pipe

By Don Sweeney
The Charlotte Observer

SAN FRANCISCO — A report of screams from a manhole in San Francisco led firefighters to rescue a man trapped in a sewer pipe below the street, California rescuers reported.

The rescue took place at about 4:40 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, on the Great Highway along the western edge of the city, San Francisco firefighters said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A man somehow entered the pipe and crawled inside about 20 feet below the street before encountering a drop and falling on his head, Lt. Mariano Elias told KRON.

A passerby heard his screams from a manhole and notified authorities at 3:41 a.m., Elias told the station.

Dozens of firefighters used a fan, ropes and rescue baskets to pull the man to safety at about 5:15 a.m., KTVU reported. He was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

The Great Highway is a park promenade running along the western edge of San Francisco overlooking the Pacific Ocean, San Francisco Recreation & Parks said.

©2024 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Trending
Long Hill firefighters spent about three hours mitigating and ventilating a home after a homeowner accidentally cut a refrigerant line while dismantling an old fridge, releasing sulfur dioxide
A wrong-way crash in Ventura County triggered a chain of DUI arrests, including a man whose Tesla drove through road flares and struck a firefighter and fire truck
As Spokane builds its own 911 system after ending its county dispatch contract, Local 29 President Michael Walker says dropping EMT certification requirements for new dispatchers echoes past failures
The Johnston firefighter’s lawsuit claims nearly a third of the department engaged in substance abuse on duty, but Mayor Joseph Polisena Jr. calls the allegations fabricated retaliation for a sick time dispute