A potentially terrifying incident was avoided on Tuesday after a man trapped in a garbage truck was rescued by Calgary Fire crews.
A garbage truck had picked up a dumpster in southeast Calgary, lifted it overhead, and emptied it into the back of the truck. The driver then compacted the contents and picked up another load, emptying that into the back. The driver then heard something, checked his camera, and saw that there was a person in the back of his truck amongst all the garbage. He immediately stopped the vehicle and went to the back to try and help.
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Calgary Fire crews quickly called the Technical Rescue Team for support due to the unique circumstances of the scene. The man, who was breathing and conscious, was put into a special hardback harness and under some of his own power, was lifted by rescuers out of the garbage truck and lowered to the ground. Their initial assessment showed the man sustained moderate injuries from the compaction process. He was transported to the hospital by EMS.
District Chief Brent Neil said in a release the situation could have been much worse.
“Had the garbage truck been full, his injuries would have been much more serious if not fatal.”