KANSAS CITY —The Kansas City Fire Department is investigating a construction site incident that critically injured a worker.
Just before 8a.m. Monday, crews with the Kansas City Fire Department responded to a reported man trapped in a sewer pipe in the 9200 block of Old Santa Fe Road, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.
First responders found the man unconscious and face down in approximately 6 to 8 inches of water.
The first company on the scene immediately put on a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and entered the drain. The man was quickly evaluated and found to have no pulse. A rope was secured around the victim and he was removed from the sewer and CPR was initiated. He was transported to a local hospital. At last report the approximately 30-year-old man was alive and breathing on his own but in critical condition.
After the victim was removed and transported a Hazmat team member was sent into the sewer to monitor the air to determine a cause. No significant toxic substances were found. However, oxygen levels were very low at 11 %, according to Hopkins. Twenty-one percent is normal atmospheric oxygen levels, and anything under 19.5 % is dangerous, according to Hopkins.