Phoenix rescue crews successfully freed a naked man who got stuck in a storm drain Tuesday morning.
Responders worked with the 31-year-old man until he was able to climb out unassisted just after 11 a.m., Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Danny Gile told local media. It's not clear how the man got into the storm drain or why he was not wearing clothes.
Authorities were called around 10:30 a.m. after a contractor working in the area, Marcus Pippin, heard the man’s screams for help.
"I was working on the air conditioning and for about 15 to 20 minutes I heard yelling," Pippin told KNXV-TV. "After a while I got curious and walked out. I thought maybe there was a fight going on in the apartments. I got to the street and I heard the word 'help.' I looked down on the grate and saw the guy about 40 feet in the pipe."
Crews found the closest manhole entrance and placed a ladder down the opening so the man could climb out, Gile said. The man was uninjured, but was taken to a hospital for evaluation.
Gile said storm drains are tight, confined spaces that can potentially be very dangerous.
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