Visually impaired man rescued from manhole in Fresno

VISALIA, Calif. (FOX26) — A visually impaired man had to be rescued after he fell into an open underground communications utility vault on Monday.

Fresno firefighters responded to an unusual rescue just after 5:30 p.m. on the 4800 block of North Cedar Avenue.

A 911 caller reported that he had fallen into a manhole and was unable to get out.

Upon arrival, crews found an adult male trapped inside the vault.

The visually impaired man had been walking in the area and did not see the open vault before accidentally falling in.

Firefighters worked for about 20 minutes to safely extricate him.

He sustained a broken leg and minor lacerations and was transported to a hospital for further treatment.