California Man Survives 2 Days in Storm Drain as Crews Pull Him Above Ground in Dramatic Rescue

A San Francisco man survived two days in a drain pipe the width of a large pizza that was 15 feet underground. He was rescued by an army of firefighters, police, and emergency crews, officials said on Monday.

The 30-something man, whose name has not been released, was pulled to safety from a 16-inch pipe in the city of Antioch, which is located near the San Francisco Bay Area, by a team of approximately 50 firefighters, police officers, and rescue crews, CBS News reported.

The rescue mission was completed around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Steve Hill, a spokesperson with the Contra Coast County Fire Protection District, said once the man was safe, he was talking and alert, and couldn’t be happier.

"He was beyond exuberant. He was beyond happy to be above ground," Hill said, in part, CBS reported. 

The man was suffering from dehydration, but had no visible injuries. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation, the spokesperson said.

Hill said the man told firefighters he did not fall into the storm drain, but knowingly went into it on his own. Once underground, he came upon massive amounts of debris and was unable to back out and became stuck in the narrow space, CBS San Francisco.

It wasn’t until some pedestrians heard his screams from down under that they were able to call 911 for help.

“I was just yelling and I heard him yelling through the pipes,” the man told CBS San Francisco. 

When the sounds got louder the man told the news outlet that is when he called the police. 

"That's fairly miraculous because it was pretty windy out there," Hill said, in part. 

On Monday, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District posted on their Facebook page that the “Confined Space Rescue,” was a team effort that included rescue, truck and engine companies working as one to free the man. 

The spokesperson said that in a situation like this it isn’t only the victim at risk, but the rescuers too. 

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