{"id":15847,"date":"2018-07-13T09:56:23","date_gmt":"2018-07-13T14:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=15847"},"modified":"2018-07-13T09:56:23","modified_gmt":"2018-07-13T14:56:23","slug":"firefighters-rescue-man-trapped-in-cement-hopper-for-2-5-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/georgiaarsoncontrol.org\/?p=15847","title":{"rendered":"Firefighters rescue man trapped in cement hopper for 2.5 hours"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Fox 32<\/a>) \u2013 Alameda County firefighters rescued\u00a0a man\u00a0stuck in a cement hopper for two-and-a half hours Thursday evening.\u00a0Firefighters responded to U.S. Pipe and Foundry at\u00a01295 Whipple Road in Union City at around 4:00 p.m.<\/p>\n

A worker told KTVU that a 27-year-old supervisor was looking into the silo when he lost his balance and fell inside. The man, identified by a co-worker only as Joelle, was reportedly stuck up to his waist in dry cement.<\/p>\n

Alameda County Fire\u00a0secured the worker with a\u00a0harness to prevent him from sinking deeper into the cement.\u00a0 They also gave\u00a0him oxygen during the ordeal. Crews drained\u00a0product from the bottom of the hopper to alleviate the dry cement from around the man in what was called a confined space rescue.<\/p>\n

Skyfox\u00a0was over the situation and could see crews hosing the man off before he was taken away in an ambulance. A steady stream of emergency vehicles converged on the property to help the trapped worker.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The] supervisor was looking into the silo, checking on cement and fell in there and he\u2019s up to his chest in there,\u201d Manfred Schmidt,\u201d a U.S. Pipe employee told KTVU early on.<\/p>\n

Rescue unit Captain Richard Riggs was among the first on the scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur biggest concern is to make sure he doesn\u2019t get crushed or engulfed with a type of material\u00a0we\u2019ve\u00a0seen it before with other trench calls. He can continue to sink in,\u201d Riggs said during the rescue effort.<\/p>\n

Alameda County Fire was assisted by four engine companies, a ladder truck, and hazardous response team.<\/p>\n

The man continued to sink during the rescue, along with the oxygen, he was given water to keep him hydrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese operations in a confined space pose respiratory challenges to the rescuers with a technical response. 50 percent of casualties are usually rescuers in a confined space,\u201d said John Walsh a division chief.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose of you who have worked around cement, you open a bag, a big poof of dust, it\u2019s\u00a0the same thing in a giant hopper with thousands of pounds of dry cement,\u201d said Riggs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re happy that we can bring some closure to it and he\u2019s going to his success is our success,\u201d said Capt. Brian Ferreira with Alameda County Fire Department Special Operations Division.<\/p>\n

A sign out front says the company had gone 15 days without an accident.<\/p>\n