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
“Living On: The Michael Cammarata Story” traces the life of the youngest FDNY firefighter killed on Sept. 11, from the Little League World Series to the fire service
The Fix Our Forests Act would expand forest management, prescribed burns and wildfire mitigation projects as the U.S. faces an above-average fire season
Lee County’s Northridge fire rating improved from Class 10 to Class 7, a change officials say could reduce homeowners’ insurance premiums by 25% to 30%
Visalia firefighters used a commercial building slated for demolition to practice ventilation operations and sharpen skills in a realistic training environment