Firefighters on Saturday rescued a man who became trapped inside an underground garbage container in Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood. After being rescued alive, he received medical treatment from Magen David Adom teams and was evacuated in moderate condition to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center.
The incident began when the Fire and Rescue Service's 102 emergency hotline received a report of a person trapped inside the container. Firefighters from the Jerusalem station were dispatched to the scene together with the special rescue unit.
Upon arrival, firefighters used gas detectors and identified an oxygen shortage inside the container. According to police officers at the scene, the trapped man has a history of mental health issues. Due to the danger, firefighters had to persuade him to put on a rescue hood that provided him with breathable air.
At the same time, the teams worked to pump air into the container using specialized equipment and stabilize the conditions inside. The operation continued until a significant reduction was recorded in the concentrations of gases detected at the scene.
A crane from the Jerusalem Municipality was also brought to the scene to lift the container, which together with its contents weighed an estimated one ton. Once it was raised, firefighters were able to reach the trapped man and rescue him.
Incident commander Rami Meir described the operation, saying, "This was a complex and dangerous rescue operation. Upon our arrival, we detected very high concentrations of explosive gases inside the container, so our first priority was to reduce the gas concentrations and pump air into the container."
"After over an hour of intensive work, we succeeded in creating the conditions that allowed his rescue and transfer for medical treatment," Meir added.
Following the rescue, the man was transferred to Magen David Adom teams and evacuated to the hospital.