A man was rescued by emergency services in California this week after spending two days stuck inside a vacant Chinese restaurant's grease vent, police say.
Officials from the Alameda County Fire Department and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office responded to the 700 block of Bockman Road in San Lorenzo about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. A citizen had phoned after hearing a faint voice calling for help from inside the building.
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Images from the scene posted to Facebook by the local sheriff's department showed the man firmly stuck in the metal vent with his hands above his head while coated in filth.
"The man was covered in grease and oil and was trapped in such a condition that he could not move," sergeant Ray Kelly, the office's public information officer, explained in a statement.
When first responders arrived on-scene, they said a voice could be heard. Officers determined it was coming from a roof vent on top of the restaurant. Personnel then found a 29-year-old man trapped. The metal grease duct reportedly runs from the roof to the restaurant's kitchen.
"Firefighters quickly went to work and after almost an hour were able to extract the man from the metal duct," Kelly continued. "The man was physically exhausted and suffering from dehydration. He was transported via ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. We are very thankful to our citizen reporter and our firefighters for saving this man."
It remains unclear how the man came to find himself in such an unfortunate situation. The Alameda County Sheriff's Office said a "trespassing and vandalism" investigation had now been launched to find out more. It is unknown if the suspect—name unreleased—intended to commit a burglary. Officials said the case would soon be submitted to the district attorney.
If he had not been found in time, the incident could have been fatal. California authorities said the man likely "would not have survived another day." He is expected to make a full recovery.
According to the Alameda County fire department, it took multiple team members to free the 29-year-old from the cramped vent.
Additional images posted to Facebook on Wednesday showed the rescue mission underway. The restaurant closed in September, according to one user comment under the sheriff office's post.
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