MADISON COUNTY, Ill. – A man was rescued early Wednesday morning after being trapped inside the compactor of a garbage truck in Madison County.
According to a social media post from the Hartford Fire Department, the incident occurred around 4 a.m. Tuesday morning after a garbage truck driver spotted the man waving his arms in the truck’s camera.
Officials say the man was unknowingly picked up by the garbage truck while in South Roxana, Illinois, and was inside the truck when the compactor had been used. According to the Hartford Fire Department, an initial assessment did not indicate any broken bones or abnormalities.
Upon arrival at the scene, the Hartford Fire Department set up ladders and made their way into the truck’s trash compartment before calling the Roxana Fire Department for assistance. The man indicated he had severe leg pain and couldn’t move.
Crews placed the man inside a basket, and he was lifted from the truck, lowered to the ground safely, and put inside an ambulance to be taken to the hospital, officials say.
While in the ambulance, officials say the man refused to be transported to the hospital by helicopter. Emergency personnel are concerned about possible internal injuries from the compactor. The helicopter left without him, and the man was taken to a hospital by ambulance, according to officials.
According to the Hartford Fire Department, there is no information on the condition of the man.