HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson firefighters used a technical rescue operation Wednesday to remove a person who fell about nine feet into a trench in south Hutchinson.
According to a news release from Hutchinson Fire Department Battalion Chief Chad Allen, crews were called at 11:24 a.m. Aug. 20 to the 3100 block of South Mohawk for what was initially reported as a citizen assist following a fall.
While firefighters were responding, dispatchers updated crews that the person had fallen approximately nine feet into a trench next to a basement wall.
The first arriving unit found the person lying in the trench. Firefighters placed a ladder into the trench to gain access and began assessing the patient.
Crews determined the trench was not safe for emergency personnel to enter until the department's rescue team arrived and stabilized the sides. Firefighters maintained voice and visual contact with the person while the rescue operation was being prepared.
Once trench panels were installed and the area was considered safe, rescue crews entered the trench and treated injuries sustained in the fall. The person was then secured and lifted from the trench using ropes.
The patient was transferred to Reno County EMS for transportation. The fire department did not provide information on the person's identity, condition or where the patient was transported.