Flagstaff fire officials rescue man stuck in storm drain

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Fire officials in Arizona say a man who told them he was trapped in a storm drain for two days needed a special operations team to be rescued.

The Arizona Daily Sun reports crews found the man Saturday morning about 30 feet (9 metres) below the ground. Officials believe he crawled into a storm drain on the east side of Flagstaff and fell through a series of drainage tubes.

Flagstaff Fire Department Capt. Todd George says the man had some serious injuries and couldn’t move.

He says the man was found in 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 centimetres) of standing water left by heavy rains.

The department’s special operations team used a technical rope rescue to hoist the man horizontally out of the ground.

___

This story has been corrected to say that the Arizona Daily Sun — not the Arizona Daily Star — reported the story.

___

Information from: Arizona Daily Sun, http://www.azdailysun.com/