Man stuck in manhole rescued

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. (WABC) -- Dozens of firefighters responded in Massapequa after a water district employee got stuck in a hole Thursday afternoon.

Rescue workers responded to Front Street where the employee was on a routine call checking a meter when he became stuck inside a manhole.

Firefighters said the hole was pretty small. "It's about 5 feet ... so it wasn't really deep down," said Deputy Fire Chief Regis Beneville, of the Massapequa Fire Department. The victim "was unable to get himself out of the hole."

Rescuers said the worker remained alert and in good spirits during the rescue. "He was fairly calm, actually ... talking, making some jokes."

Getting him out of the hole took jack hammers and more than an hour of work. Firefighters removed a metal rim from inside the manhole. After he was rescued, the worker recovered and was taken by ambulance to be evaluated.

"It becomes part of the job. You gotta go to these types of things, so you gotta go down," said co-worker Jack Graham, a water district employee.