San Francisco fire officials rescue man trapped inside garbage truck

Firefighters hollowed out a dumpster truck and lifted a man from trash and debris after bystanders alerted driver to screams

San Francisco fire officials manually hollowed out a garbage truck early on Wednesday to rescue a man trapped inside.

Firefighters were dispatched around 4.11am after receiving a report of an individual stuck inside a Recology dumpster truck, authorities said.

Bystanders had alerted the driver to screams emanating from within the vehicle. To prevent any further injuries, instead of dumping out the truck’s contents, emergency responders dug out the trash to locate the person.

In a video posted to social media, a crew of firefighters stood among heaps of trash and debris as a man was lifted out of the truck onto a stretcher.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, was transported to a local trauma center to treat possible crush injuries, according to Samuel Menchaca, a public information officer for the San Francisco fire department.

“There’s no safety,” he said, referring to the truck apparatus. “That thing will just continue to compact the garbage that’s in there.”

The driver ceased operation of the truck once they became aware of the individual. Authorities suspect the man may have been searching for items in waste areas.

“People have been trapped before in garbage containers and usually they’re a little bit easier to rescue … with assistance from a ladder or personnel help,” Menchaca said, calling this week’s incident a “unique circumstance”.

Although all the responding firefighters who sifted through the trash were wearing protective gear, one suffered a laceration and was transported to a hospital. Menchaca advised the public to not enter waste containers, which can contain hazards including knives, glass, needles, substances and vermin.