A man trapped in a sewer pipe was rescued Sunday afternoon off of Gunbarrel Road. A homeless man was attempting to take shelter in the confined space when he realized he was stuck and couldn’t get out and called 911 around 4:30 p.m. He complained of leg pain.
The man climbed into the sewer through a small 24-inch pipe, crawled approximately 75-100 feet back and then went through a smaller hole and into a junction vault. He was unable or unwilling to climb back out on his own. The Chattanooga Fire Department attempted to access the vault through other manholes, but they were obstructed.
Multiple entries were made by members of the CFD’s Urban Search and Rescue teams to contact the man who was in and out of consciousness and a rescue plan was developed. He was maneuvered past obstructions and pulled through the 100-foot long, 24-inch wide pipe using special rescue equipment and ropes handled by crews outside.
Two hours later, he was recovered and transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
Quint 21, Squad 19, Squad 1, Quint 8, Squad 13, Ladder 7, USAR 1, USAR 2, Battalion 1, Battalion 2, Battalion 3 (Blue Shift), CFD Special Operations, CPD and HCEMS responded to the call.