Man Rescued After Getting Trapped In Recology Garbage Truck In SF's Tenderloin

A man who was dumpster-diving in the Tenderloin became trapped inside a Recology garbage truck Wednesday morning after the dumpster was emptied into it, prompting a two-hour rescue by 25 firefighters.

The incident happened shortly after 4 am near the 100 block of Mason Street. As KTVU reports, bystanders flagged down the driver after they heard yelling coming from the truck's garbage compartment. 

The driver had reportedly turned on the truck's trash compactor once prior to being alerted, and the man was completely buried in debris.

Twenty-five firefighters from the San Francisco Fire Department worked to manually remove the trash over the course of two hours, according to KTVU. Paramedics were able to reach the man's arm and administer an IV during the process.

ABC 7 reports that the man was found conscious, breathing, and able to talk. He was taken to a hospital, and the extent of his injuries was not immediately known.

A firefighter was also injured during the rescue, suffering a laceration to the hand that required treatment at a hospital.

Following the rescue, Recology workers cleared the large pile of trash from the street using construction equipment, per KTVU. 

Firefighters reportedly plan to interview the man at the hospital about the events leading up to the incident.

The rescue comes after a similar garbage-truck incident earlier this year in Kentucky, where a woman was fatally crushed after being picked up by a truck's hydraulic claw. Her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Related: Recology Mechanic's Death Still Shrouded In Mystery as Company Stays Quiet About Details