Trapped Man Rescued From Narrow 30-Foot Hole In SFV

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA — Los Angeles Fire Department crews rescued a man who became trapped approximately 30 feet underground at a North Hollywood construction site early Thursday morning.

Firefighters and Urban Search and Rescue specialists responded at around 2:57 a.m. to the 11000 block of Hartsook Street, where they found a man inside a hole roughly 3 feet wide and 30 feet deep, according to the LAFD.

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The man was described as alert. But due to poor air quality inside the confined space, rescuers lowered an oxygen tank and mask to the man while they developed a rescue plan, the LAFD said.

Crews coordinated for about an hour before using an aerial ladder truck to create a high point for a rope rescue system. The man was secured and slowly lifted to ground level, KTLA reported.

A passerby called 911 after hearing the man yelling for help from inside the hole. Video from the scene showed rescue specialists using high-powered lights and technical rescue equipment during the operation.

Paramedics evaluated the man after he was brought to the surface. The LAFD said he declined transportation to a hospital.

Officials have not released the man's identity, and it was not immediately clear how he ended up in the hole.

City News Service contributed to this report.