A Calgary man had a lucky escape when he got trapped in a garbage truck that compacted and was rescued largely uninjured.
In a statement, Calgary Fire Department said the incident had happened at around 10:20 a.m. on Tuesday, January 10, on the 3000 block of 17 Ave. S.E., where the garbage truck had picked up a dumpster, lifted it overhead and emptied it into the back.
The driver compacted the garbage and picked up another load. He then heard a noise and checked his camera to see that there was someone in the back, in with the garbage. The driver stopped the truck and went to help.
EMS told Narcity the patient was an adult male and had been inadvertently picked up when the garbage truck picked up a dumpster.
EMS crews were able to reach him very quickly and assist him out of the truck mainly under his own power, they added.
Fire crews and the Technical Rescue Team also attended to help rescue the man from the truck, given the unique circumstances of the incident.
The fire department said the man was put into a hard-back harness and lifted out of the garbage truck by rescuers, and lowered to the ground.
The patient was essentially uninjured but was taken to Foothills hospital as a precaution. He is in a stable and non-life-threatening condition, EMS said.
According to District Chief Brent Neil, if the garbage truck had been full, "his injuries would have been much more serious, if not fatal."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
The letter received by Gerl.