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
San Francisco firefighters spent nearly three hours searching through a garbage truck before rescuing a man and transporting him to a trauma center
A mayday was called during a Rowan County-area house fire that injured three firefighters, while a fire engine was heavily damaged in a separate highway crash hours later
The Plaskett and Timber fires have forced evacuations and closed parks, businesses and a 50-mile stretch of Highway 1 as nearly 3,000 personnel battle the blazes
The FDNY added 36 names to its World Trade Center Memorial Wall, bringing to 438 the number of fire and EMS members honored after dying from illnesses linked to Ground Zero