Calgary Fire rescues man trapped in garbage truck

A man believed to be in his 20s is hurt after he was crushed in a garbage truck compactor Tuesday morning.

It happened around 10:20 a.m. when Calgary firefighters were called to the area near the intersection of 17 Avenue SE and 28 Street SE to rescue someone who was trapped inside the bin of a garbage truck.

Calgary Fire says the driver of a garbage truck picked up a dumpster and emptied it into the back of the truck, activated the compactor, and picked up another load.

The driver then heard something and checked his inside camera, at that point finding a person in the back of the truck amongst the garbage.

He immediately stopped the truck and went to the back to try and help the man trapped in the trash but was unsuccessful.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and firefighters who got there first tried to get the man free, however when they couldn’t. Calgary Fire then called in the Technical Rescue Team for support.

Firefighters then put the man into a special hard back harness, and “under some of his own power” was lifted out of the truck.

Crews say he “sustained moderate injuries from the compaction process,” and he was taken to hospital by EMS.

District Chief Brent Neil with Calgary Fire said “had the garbage truck been full, his injuries would have been much more serious if not fatal.”

Carol Henke, spokesperson for the Calgary Fire Department, says luckily the garbage truck driver was paying attention.

“Thankfully the individual doesn’t sound like he was seriously injured, and hopefully he makes a full recovery,” Henke said. “It could have been much, much worse.”