Trapped In A Manhole: IE Woman Rescued Where She Fell At Former Mall

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Firefighters hoisted a woman out of a manhole Wednesday, where she had fallen 15 to 20 feet below the surface, according to the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

At 11 a.m., firefighters arrived at Carousel Mall Road in San Bernardino after a passerby reported "screams for help" from the manhole, according to a department spokesperson.

It took 20 firefighters about two hours to coordinate the technical "high angle" rescue and lift the woman from the precarious spot. She was hospitalized after suffering numerous broken bones from the experience, officials say.

Upon arrival, she was "awake and talking with rescuers. Firefighters learned she had been inside the deep hole since the night before," a department spokesperson said.

The San Bernardino County Fire Urban Search & Rescue team used a high-point rope rescue system, where one rescuer was lowered to the patient.

There, they assessed her injuries and began treatment inside the manhole.

"She was placed into a rescue harness and raised to safety," they said. She suffered "multiple musculoskeletal injuries and was transported to a local trauma center in moderate condition," according to medics at the scene.

Despite all the rescue challenges, firefighters safely rescued the patient in less than 90 minutes.

Crews from the San Bernardino Municipal Water Department remained on-scene until the man-hole was covered and secured.

There was no word on what led the woman to the former mall's location. After numerous illegal activities, it was leveled in 2023, and news reports say the area remains fully fenced.