San Francisco firefighters rescue man trapped inside garbage truck

San Francisco fire officials responded around 4.11am on Wednesday to a report of a person trapped inside a Recology garbage collection truck. Bystanders had heard screaming coming from within the vehicle and alerted the driver, who stopped operating the truck once aware of the situation.

Rather than dumping out the truck's contents, which risked further harm, emergency crews chose to manually clear away the trash by hand to reach the trapped man. Footage shared on social media showed firefighters standing amid piles of debris as the man was lifted out and placed onto a stretcher.

The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a local trauma center for treatment of possible crush injuries, according to Samuel Menchaca, a public information officer with the San Francisco fire department.

No built-in safety mechanism

Menchaca said the truck's compacting mechanism offers no safety feature and will continue crushing whatever garbage is inside regardless of the circumstances. Authorities believe the man may have climbed into the waste area while searching for discarded items.

Menchaca noted that people have become trapped in garbage containers before, but such incidents are usually resolved more easily with a ladder or additional personnel assistance. He described this week's rescue as a "unique circumstance."

All firefighters who sifted through the trash wore protective gear, but one still sustained a laceration and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Menchaca urged the public not to enter waste containers, warning they can contain hazards such as knives, glass, needles, harmful substances and vermin.