PORTLAND, Oregon — Two people were safely rescued from a manhole in North Portland's Eliot neighborhood Friday morning.
According to Portland Fire and Rescue, crews were dispatched around 9:40 a.m. to the area of North Interstate Avenue and and North Russell Street on reports of two unconscious people stuck down a manhole. When they arrived, they found the two people in the manhole who were unable to get out, but both were conscious at the time.
Portland Fire told KGW that the two people were working in a confined space and had lost consciousness at one point due to a lack of oxygen. Air was pushed into the space, and one worker regained consciousness and climbed out on his own. The other worker was pulled out by crews shortly after. The two workers were in the space for only a couple of minutes before the rescue efforts began, according to Portland Fire.
The agency also reported that River City Environmental Services responded and pushed air into the space while fire crews were heading to the scene.
A KGW photojournalist who was there saw one of the people who was rescued thanking one of the first responders.
"I passed out in the hole, him and his crew, they came to save both me and my co-worker," the man told KGW.
KGW has reached out to River City Environmental Services to confirm whether the two patients were workers with the business and has yet to hear back.
This is a developing story and it will be updated as more information becomes available.
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