Rescue team saves man in drainage pipe
Amid one of California’s notorious heatwaves, on Sept. 8, 2024, Ventura County first responders worked to free a man trapped in a 36-inch drainage pipe located on a private ranch close to Potrero Road within the Lake Sherwood area. Information detailing the circumstances surrounding how the 37-year-old man, who has not yet been identified, found himself stuck in the 300-foot-long pipe is not currently known.
Rescuers from both the Ventura and Oxnard counties, including members of the Ventura County Fire Department, Oxnard County Fire Department and Oxnard County Police Department, collaborated in large numbers to free the man, utilizing robotic technology and the K9 unit, which are police dogs that assist officers. Due to these tools and also through their organization, the response team was able to rapidly rescue the man.
Their efforts were first hindered by the man’s unresponsive state, but the team persevered and rescuers physically crawled through the drainage pipe to locate him. It is currently unclear how long the man was trapped in the drainage pipe, but after he was found, the response team dug down approximately eight feet with heavy equipment and a backhoe to cut the pipe.
From there, the man was recovered and taken to a nearby hospital via ambulance. According to the most recent update, the man is in stable condition, though his injuries were serious. When extricated, the man was covered in dirt and dust. Furthermore, due to the extreme heat, the inside of the pipe was around 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
