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.

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.