Man rescued from refuse collection lorry

Tuesday 28th July 2015 – 1.20pm – Chris Kowalik.

A man has been rescued, apparently without any signs of obvious injury, from inside a bin lorry in Warwickshire.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to Avenue Road in Nuneaton shortly before 9.45am.

An ambulance crew, a paramedic area support officer in a rapid response vehicle, a number of resources from the Hazardous Area Response Team and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance attended.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “It appears he was asleep in a large industrial bin, the contents of which were tipped into the refuse lorry.

“After the lorry’s machinery had compacted the load, movement was noticed among the rubbish and someone was heard shouting from inside.

“Ambulance crews and the fire service worked together to get him out safely in what was a logistically difficult operation. He could only be safely removed via the top of the vehicle.

“First, the rubbish had to be moved to be able to reach the man who was given pain relief. He was then immobilised inside the lorry. A fire service ladder was placed inside the lorry. Meanwhile, outside, scaffolding was assembled along the side of the vehicle. Ambulance and fire crews lifted him together up the ladder, over the top of the lorry, then down the side using the scaffolding.

Man rescued from refuse collection lorry

Picture: West Midlands Ambulance Service.

“He had pains to his legs and back but further assessments didn’t reveal any obvious injuries.

“He was taken by land ambulance to University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire.”

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