The rescue team in Pomona, California, wasted no time springing into action when a situation turned critical due to the tricky weight and depth involved. They pushed through every challenge to carry out a daring rescue of a man, described as obese, who was trapped in a hole.
The scene was captured in a video posted on X, showing several firefighters at a construction site performing a rescue. “Well, for the first time, John and Sam, we are seeing the man coming out of the hole here,” a reporter described, as the 500-pound man was hoisted out with ropes tied to his arms. “The rescuers in a confined space went down into the hole twice to get the man harnessed up, and now they are pulling him up,” the reporters added, giving more details. The man, whose hands appeared secured, was carefully lifted and placed onto a gurney.
The rescue had been quite difficult for the Los Angeles firefighters, who had begun operations almost immediately after receiving the call that the man had fallen about 15 feet into the hole. “Now, the good news is, he’s been alert and talking the whole time to the rescuer,” the reporter shared, adding that the man was being taken to the hospital quickly.
Different opinions flooded the comments section as netizens reacted to the incident.
One user shared their takeaway, writing, “Reason number 7,588 to be in shape. Less likely you’ll stumble into giant holes & get stuck,” while another jokingly added, “There’s a heavy rescue unit😂.” A third commenter raised a question, writing, “How did he end up in that hole? So many questions. I feel extremely sad for those large people. To be that size is no way to live.”
Another commenter made sure the rescue team’s efforts did not go unnoticed, writing, “Huge respect to the rescue teams for handling such a difficult operation. Situations like this aren’t easy at all, especially when it involves both depth and weight, and it’s impressive that they were able to safely hoist him out.” A user pointed out an awkward moment in the rescue, writing, “I think the worst part is being hoisted out on live TV with your pants down,” while another commenter wrote more broadly, “I think we have a weight problem in this country.”
Once again, the rescue team received praise, with someone writing, “Incredible rescue! Falling into a hole that deep and walking away safe is a miracle. Props to LA firefighters, they make it look so easy.” Another comment read, “I’m not sure why his arms didn’t completely separate from the joints due to the weight of his body. Crisis averted,” while someone else added, “Huge respect to that guy’s arms for not ripping off when they pulled him up!”
Meanwhile, the LA rescue team deserves all the praise they have received in the comments, as the situation could have been extremely delicate, yet they gave their all despite the complexity, depth of the fall, and the man’s weight.
