SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. (AP) - Emergency responders rescued a man after he fell about 19 feet in a grain elevator at a local processing plant, according to the Spokane Valley Fire Department.
Julie Happy, fire department spokeswoman, said the man was in the elevator Monday at the Spokane Seed Company readying to offload a shipment when he slipped and fell farther into the shaft, the Spokesman-Review reported. The man injured an arm and leg, but his injuries were not life-threatening.
Firefighters worked for 25 to 30 minutes to free the man, using a monitor to ensure the air quality was under control, Happy said. Meanwhile, all machinery running, or capable of running, nearby was disabled and locked during the operation as a precaution, fire officials said.
Crews strapped and stabilized the man on a backboard before pulling him up onto a stretcher. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
Amid steady rain showers, Happy said firefighters descending into the elevator shaft had to overcome the slippery conditions to get the man out. The Spokane Fire Department also responded to the scene.
“We train a lot for this kind of rescue,” Happy said.
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