A California man has been pulled out alive from storm pipes.
Gatekeepers News reports that the man was rescued after been trapped in a 15-feet underground in a narrow storm drain after he crawled into the pipe himself.
The unidentified victim, who is in his 30s, entered the 16 inch-wide opening in Antioch, just north east of San Francisco.
However, the reason for his action is unclear, but he soon found himself stuck fast inside the drain. He, thereafter, began screaming for help, with passers-by hearing his pleas and dialing 911.
At least 50 firefighters were then drafted in to carry out the hours-long rescue, which ended successfully.
Officials freed the man from the 16-inch (41cm) diameter pipe at about 9.30pm on Sunday, according to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, in what was described as a ‘borderline miraculous’ operation.
Spokesman Steve Hill said, “When we finally got him out of the ground, he was beyond exuberant. He was beyond happy to be above ground.
“A couple of things are borderline miraculous: that passersby heard his cries and reported them to 911.
“He was separated from access points by a fence, and it was windy out.
“When firefighters responded, our battalion chief wasn’t willing to cancel the assignment without investigating, and that led him to believe there was someone down there.”
Although the man was not injured, he showed signs of dehydration and was taken to the Sutter Delta Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.
