In an incident that unfolded late Tuesday morning, San Bernardino County Fire crews were called into action to rescue a woman who had found herself trapped within the confines of an underground storm drainage system, in downtown San Bernardino. According to a Facebook post by the fire department, the distress call came in at around 10:20 am, near the intersection of Arrowhead Ave. and Fourth St., just a stone's throw from the county courthouse.
Upon arrival, firefighters made contact with the woman, who was stuck about 15 feet from the drainage opening, The situation necessitated the implementation of a ventilation plan to ensure a supply of fresh air, as the confining space didn't allow the woman any room to turn around. Consequently, she was instructed and managed to edge her way backward to a point where a separate crew could gain access through an alternate entry and assist her out to safety.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was found to be without visible injuries and was promptly placed on a gurney by firefighter paramedics for transportation to a local hospital for further evaluation. The entire rescue operation wrapped up in approximately 25 minutes, with the woman's prior whereabouts and the duration of her entrapment in the storm drain remaining unclear, especially given that she was found unclothed above the waist.
Ryan Beckers, Public Information Officer for the San Bernardino County Fire, was listed as the contact for further information on the rescue. No further details were provided about the woman's condition after the incident, or about how she ended up in the drainage system to begin with.
