Man Dies After Falling Down 30ft-Deep Manhole

In a tragic event that sends chills, a man in Ohio has died after he fell down a 30ft-deep manhole, according to fire department officials.

Harrison Township firefighters, a town in the east of the state, were alerted to reports that a man had fallen down a manhole in northern Pickaway County at about 12:27 p.m. on July 3.

A news release said: "Additional units were called to the scene for the purposes of rescue. Oxygen levels in the manhole were found to be 19.3 percent and therefore personnel entering the manhole were required to wear self-contained breathing apparatus.

"Columbus Rescue 4 sent a member to the bottom of the manhole to make the rescue. It took approximately 25 minutes to bring the individual to the surface where an ALS evaluation was performed."

The man was confirmed to be dead at about 2:13 p.m. the same day, according to the fire department press release.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA), 19.5 percent is the minimum acceptable oxygen level.

The OHSA added that an oxygen level between 15 and 19 percent can lead to a decreased ability to work strenuously and that it can "impair coordination."

Lower oxygen levels can lead to mental failure, fainting, unconsciousness and vomiting, according to the OHSA.

It added that oxygen levels between 4 and 8 percent can lead to a person falling into a coma within seconds and can be fatal.

The fire department officials did not say whether the man died as a result of the fall.

Their release also did not reveal the man's identity or how he ended up falling down the manhole.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021 the fourth-leading cause of death in Ohio was accidents, with COVID-19, cancer and heart disease killing more.

The CDC said that the number of deaths from accidents in the state in 2021 stood at 9,919 and that the accident death rate was 81.9 per every 100,000 people living there.

Newsweek has contacted the Harrison Township Fire Department for comment via email.

There have been several other cases where Newsweek has reported on incidents and fatalities after people have fallen or jumped down manholes.

Last year, two sisters in Mexico City died after falling down an open manhole while they were on their way to a concert.

According to a witness, they fell into the open manhole which was hard to see due to the area being poorly lit.