Teen hurt after falling at abandoned Ford plant in St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - A teen was hurt after reportedly going through a grate and falling 20 feet inside an old building that was once part of the Ford assembly plant in St. Paul.

Teen hurt at old Ford plant

What we know:

St. Paul Fire rescue crews responded just after 8 p.m. on Saturday to a report of a teenager who had fallen through a grate at the old steam plant off of Mississippi River Boulevard just south of Ford Parkway.

Firefighters were told the teen fell about 20 feet and was unable to walk after the fall. However, when rescue crews arrived, they found no rescue was needed. They say the teen was conscious but suffered several injuries. Firefighters say the teen was taken to the hospital but was expected to recover.

What we don't know:

Firefighters did not say what the teen was doing inside the building. The old building is a popular spot for urban explorers, but it's unclear if that was the case. Online threads indicate that the building was locked down after an incident in 2021.

Urban exploration at former Ford plant

The backstory:

The building was once part of the Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant that closed in 2011. Most of the plant was demolished, and part of the site was turned into a housing development.

Back in May 2021, three people who were part of a group got trapped in the same building. One person was hospitalized.

What you can do:

Firefighters routinely warn of the dangers of urban exploring. There are unexpected hazards that can come with entering an old and unsecured building or area. Even if you don't fall down something like a grate, you can be exposed to hazardous substances, like asbestos.