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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.

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