Firefighters in Manchester, New Hampshire, faced a non-textbook emergency when they rescued a woman from the bowels of a trash truck yesterday. According to WHDH, the frantic effort began when the trash truck driver, witnessing the harrowing moment the woman was dumped into his vehicle along with the contents of a dumpster, immediately dialed 911. "I'm glad they got here as fast as they got here," he said, recounting the ordeal. Firefighters, upon arrival, found the woman conscious, albeit injured, and unable to extricate herself from her precarious predicament.
Neighbours at a local housing complex were left in shock as they tried to comprehend how the 60-year-old resident ended up trapped on trash collection day, with the drama unfolding in plain view of the community. The garbage, according to obtained statements by authorities, was compacted several times before the driver noticed her through the truck's camera. "All you heard was screaming," neighbor Amanda Czzowitz recounted to Boston 25 News, "She was in agony."
The complexities of the rescue required responders to carefully hoist the woman to safety using a basket attached to the fire truck's crane. Once secured, she was transported to Eliot Hospital in serious condition. Concerned fellow resident, Matthew Czzowitz told Boston 25 News, "My kids are home from school, and they’re watching. I was like, girls, once you see her come out, I don’t want you watching," reflecting the tense nature of the scene that residents, and even children, were exposed to. The investigation into how exactly the woman fell into the dumpster and the duration of her confinement within is still ongoing.
Manchester Fire Chief Ryan Cashin expressed his pride in the rapid and effective response of the fire crews, who managed to navigate through an admittedly untraditional rescue scenario. "I couldn’t be prouder of the firefighters here today, all the companies on scene di a great job, this is not a textbook rescue, you know, but this is what we do, we show up, we use what we’ve got, and we get it done," he told WHDH. Firefighters were initially able to communicate with the woman through a side access panel, but her state of alertness was diminished, preventing her from answering questions. As the incident is still unravelling, further details are expected to emerge as the investigation continues.
