Firefighters rescued an injured demolition worker from an abandoned underground water storage tank in Washington Township after the concrete lid caved in, causing him to drop 17 feet to the bottom.
Eastern Berks Fire Department was dispatched to the Bally water storage facility about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of Crow Hill Road.
Fire Chief Mike Mutter said workers were demolishing the old underground concrete tank, which the borough had replaced a few years ago with an above-ground tank, when part of the lid, which was level with the surrounding ground, gave way. The worker who was on that portion fell to the bottom of the 17-foot pit.
The 38-year-old man was conscious but disoriented from an apparent head injury, Mutter said. He also suffered a broken arm.
Mutter said Eastern Berks Fire Department called for assistance from Boyertown Fire & Rescue, which has more equipment and training in high-angle rescues.
“We don’t see a lot of these,” Mutter said Thursday. “It’s not our specialty.”
Rescuers used a ladder to reach the patient, then used a specialized basket and rigging system to raise him to the surface where he was turned over to medics. He was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment.
Information on his medical condition was unavailable.
Crow Hill was closed between Sycamore Road and Bella Vista Lane during the rescue.