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
A possible fuel-related explosion aboard a 40-foot cabin cruiser near the Haulover Sandbar sparked a mass-casualty response
After a Manhattan fire killed three people, records show the building’s landlord has hundreds of unresolved violations across multiple New York City properties
Fire crews battled large wildfires in Broward and Miami-Dade counties as smoke reduced visibility, forced road closures
The settlement tied to Jason Arno’s 2023 line-of-duty death is the largest involving the Buffalo Fire Department and follows a report citing missed mayday calls, poor accountability and equipment issues