St. Paul firefighters rescue man stuck in sewer for 4 days after bystander hears screaming

St. Paul Firefighters rescue man trapped in sewer

St. Paul firefighters provide details on the rescue of a man who had been trapped in a sewer for four days until someone finally heard him screaming for help.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul firefighters rescued a man who fell into a sewer that says he had been stuck for four days until someone heard him screaming and called 911 for help.

St. Paul sewer rescue

What we know:

Fire crews responded on Tuesday morning at around 10 a.m. to a report of a man screaming for help who was stuck in a sewer opening in the area of University Avenue and Lafayette Road.

Photos shared by the fire department show the sewer opening in a grassy area, away from the street. Authorities are still unsure of how he got down there, but it did have a sewer hole cover that appeared to have been tampered with.

Crews say the man was about 10 feet below the ground when he was rescued. The cover was found at the bottom of the shaft, along with the man, by those who responded.

Firefighters say the man was alert and conscious. He was successfully transported to a local hospital, and does not appear to have life-threatening injuries.

Rescue effort:

Rescue crews were able to lift the man from the hole using a rope rescue system. He was ultimately taken out on a stretcher using an ATV.

The man was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for evaluation.

What they're saying:

"This type of rescue is not something that we see every day," St. Paul Fire Deputy Chief Jamie Smith told FOX 9. "It is highly unusual, however we have seen reports of this happening recently."