MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS RESCUE >>
By Rita L. Reith
Indianapolis firefighters responded Thursday to a confined space rescue situation.
One man was rescued from 35 feet below ground after the crane he was using stopped working and he became trapped inside the bottom of a sewer pipe. The three-man crew from Indy Water Solutions and Sheridan Pump had been working on emptying the sewage pipe since 10 am and the worker inside the hole -had been going up and down the pipe every ten minutes.
At approximately 6:07 pm, the crane stopped working. The crew initially believed that a battery was to blame and that the fix would be easy, owever they soon realized that it was a mechanical problem in the switch and help was needed.
Indy firefighters arrived to find the trapped worker alert and unhurt at the bottom of the pipe. Establishing contact with him allowed them to discern that he was capable of clipping into his existing harness and did not need assistance inside the pipe–just the rope to get out.
Because his equipment had not sustained catastrophic failure–the lack of need for a firefighter to enter the hole–provided the least risk to all parties involved. Confined Space Rescue (CSRT) team members established a working perimeter up top and began the dual process of setting up equipment and air monitoring inside the pipe. They were checking for levels of carbon monoxide, oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, and the Lower Explosive Limit (LEL), and all measurements proved to be within acceptable limits.
Using a DBI Sala Tripod retrieval system, which allows for a safe and efficient rescue by creating artificial Vertical Height, the CRST employed a wench and belay system to raise the worker the 35 feet. Once the system was set, the worker was out of the hole within three minutes. He was decontaminated and given a disposable Tyvek Suit to wear home, and was checked at the scene by medics and signed a statement of release.
RITA L. REITH is a battalion chief with the Indianapolis (IN) Fire Department and serves as the agency’s public information officer
Indianapolis Firefighters Rescue Worker from Trench Collapse
Discarded Cigarette Blamed in Indianapolis Dwelling Fire
Indianapolis Firefighters Battle Huge Truck Stop Fire
Indianapolis Firefighters Respond to Fire that Engulfs Home
