CHANNAHON (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Firefighters from several communities were called Thursday to help rescue a man from inside a water tower in far southwest suburban Channahon.
The man was working inside the water tower on Youngs Road along the Des Plaines River, when he started having trouble breathing.
Channahon Fire Protection District Chief John Petrakis said firefighters climbed through the top of the water tower, which is about 150 feet high, to get to the man and lower him down to the ground.
“Our first engine from Channahon was able to access and least get some cold air flushed in there as well as pass down some water bottles and things like that just to keep him hydrated until they could get the actual rescue teams down in the workspace, extract him to get him back to the ground,” Petrakis said.
Petrakis said the rescue operation took about two hours and was challenging because of the height and heat.
“Rescuers did go in through the top,” he noted. “They were able to secure a harness, lift him out of the hole at the top of the water tower, then put him into what we call a ‘stokes basket,’ secured him the stokes basket and then they were able to lower him to the catwalk.”
He said the man complained of being tired after he was rescued, but there was no sign of serious injuries.
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