Early this morning, a loader operator at Recology's Pier 96 recycling center noticed, in a pile of bottles, cans, and cardboard, a seriously injured man who was likely in a dumpster whose contents were transported to the center. Upon making the discovery, the loader operator parked his equipment and sent a radio message to his control office in the main operations center, as Recology spokesperson Robert Breed tells SFist, and 911 was soon called.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, had "experienced trauma consistent with being crushed,” the SF Fire Department told the Examiner, who first reported on the incident. Frontloader recycling trucks collect materials from metal containers like dumpsters, and the truck in question likely arrived from its route in the Bayview/Potrero Hill area.

"The employees were talking to this man, who retained consciousness, until the ambulance arrived," Reed tells SFist, emphasizing his pride in their conduct. "He was fading in and out of consciousness, and they told him not to move, but they could see he was in distress."

By Reed's estimate, "Something like this happens once every five to ten years."

Related: Feared Hazmat Incident Sickens 26 At Pier 96 Recology Recycling Center