First responders had to get creative to rescue a boy from a pipe on Evansville’s West Side.
Fire Department Chief Administrative Officer Mike Larson says firefighters were called to the scene near the Lloyd Expressway, west of Fulton Avenue, at about 9:10 Thursday night.
Larson says they found a 5-year-old boy stuck in a 16-inch pipe, 30 feet below ground.
Due to the small diameter of the pipe, firefighters were unable to just “go get him”.
Firefighters also had difficulty communicating with the boy, so they were unable to lower a rope to him.
After several attempts using different ideas, the crews came up with an idea to lower a swing set seat down to the boy.
He was instructed to sit in the seat like he was riding a horse so they could pull him up while the sides of the pipe kept him from falling off.
The boy was freed after being in the hole for nearly 90 minutes.
The EFD said he had no apparent injuries other than scrapes and bruises.
Air was pumped into the hole the entire time to ensure oxygen levels were sufficient.
