The Hancock County Technical Rescue team was dispatched to the 2200 block of W. Bedrock Lane for a confined space rescue of an unconscious male and two other workers in a manhole. Everyone is fine after the man was taken to the hospital to be evaluated.
Photo provided
HANCOCK COUNTY — The Hancock County Technical Rescue team was called into action to the 2200 block of W. Bedrock Lane just off of North 200W around 8 a.m. Monday morning. Crews were asked to help with a confined space rescue of an unconscious male and two other workers who were doing some work in a manhole cover area.
Officials with the operation say everyone is fine and the man who needed some help was taken to the local hospital to be checked out after the rescue teams got him out of harm’s way.
Luke Eichholtz, public information officer for the Greenfield Fire Territory, told the Daily Reporter crews were able to get everyone out safely and the man rescued was in stable and good condition.
“I believe they were working on a drainage area for a neighborhood on a new build area when the man was trying to get out of the manhole,” Eichholtz said “We are not certain if he suffered a medical emergency or maybe he just slipped as he was exiting a manhole sewage cover area, but he ended up on the bottom and needed some help.”
Eichholtz said that when officials tested the air quality, it was noted the oxygen level was a lower than normal, which could have led to an issue for the man who needed help.
“That could have caused him to slip and fall,” Eichholtz said. “When crews got there, they lowered oxygen down to him and got down with him as well and improved the whole breathing conditions down there and everyone was able to get out.”
Crews arrived on the scene and found a semi-conscious male and two other employees in the manhole. The victims were eventually able to self-extricate with assistance around 8:20 a.m. The one male who was struggling was then transported to the hospital to for a checkup to make sure he was OK.
“The other two workers were not injured and were able to get out on their own,” Eichholtz said.
Crews from the Greenfield Fire Territory, Buck Creek Township Fire Department, and Sugar Creek Township Fire Department responded to the call. Eichholtz said the emergency call came just as crews from the joint rescue team were about to gather for technical rescue training Monday.
“It’s great that we can all work together and get the man some help,” Eichholtz said. “It all happened right before our technical confined space training started. An event like this shows how important it is for us to work together.”
Eichholtz wasn’t sure if the men were county or contract workers.
