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Seattle Firefighters Rescue Man Stuck Upside Down for 18 Hours in Rail Car

A man dangled upside down in a narrow chute for 18 hours after becoming trapped inside of a rail tanker car, firefighters said.
Firefighters rescued a man trapped head first down a narrow steel chute. The man’s head was popping out through the bottom of the chute underneath the train. The man’s feet were popping out of the top of the chute.
Firefighters rescued a man trapped head first down a narrow steel chute. The man’s head was popping out through the bottom of the chute underneath the train. The man’s feet were popping out of the top of the chute. Seattle Fire Department

A man dangled upside down in a narrow chute for 18 hours after becoming trapped inside of a rail tanker car, firefighters in Seattle said.

The 25-year-old was found after passersby heard him screaming for help and called 911.

"The man’s head was popping out through the bottom of the chute underneath the train," the Seattle Fire Department said in a statement. "The man’s feet were popping out of the top of the chute. The patient explained he was trapped in this confined space for 18 hours."

It was unclear why he had attempted to crawled through the small hole.

Firefighters were able to free the man in about two minutes after pulling him out by his legs "to get him out of his precarious position," officials said.

He was transported to a hospital with no visible injuries. The rail tanker car was located on a short section of track that is used for storage, officials said.

- Shamar Walters