It turns out there's a hatch to let people in and out of the Talus Dome

As it turns out, the guy who got stuck in the Talus Dome last week could have been let out through a maintenance hatch if emergency crews knew about it.

The internet went wild after a 26-year-old man, later identified as Wakeem Courtoreille, became trapped inside the Talus Dome after reportedly climbing on top of the art installation and slipping in.

Firefighters had to rescue him, prying him out and damaging some of the balls in the process. He was later charged with mischief over $5,000.

 

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When the Talus Dome was installed in 2011, a maintenance hatch was added to allow conservation workers to maintain the sculpture.

For the artwork’s safety, this hatch is only accessible by the Edmonton Arts Council conservation, which was unknown to emergency services during the April 9 rescue at our favourite pile of silver balls.

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“Emergency services was not aware of the hatch as there has never been an emergency related to the artwork since it was installed in 2011,” Jenna Turner, Edmonton Arts Council communications director, explained to Daily Hive.

It’s still unclear how much the damage to the Talus Dome will cost, but at least we know now that there’s a hutch for the next time someone gets trapped.