Man rescued from within chemical transport tank
Dec 14, 2021, 4:29 PM | Updated: 4:44 pm
SALT LAKE CITY- A male worker that was reported unconscious within a chemical transport tank was rescued Tuesday afternoon.
According to a tweet from Salt Lake City Fire Department, heavy rescue and hazmat teams arrived on scene for rescue efforts.
SLC Fire Captain Anthony Burton said they responded to a situation around 2 p.m. when they became aware of a worker that had entered a transport tank to service it. Although he was following most their safety procedures, the man ended up unconscious and became trapped.
Hazmat arrived on scene first and monitored the atmosphere in the tank, finding dangerous factors including the size of the space, and the presence of unknown substances that could cause harm to victims and rescuers in addition to low oxygen levels.
Then heavy rescue arrived with firefighters and performed a “confined space rescue.”
Captain Burton said the tank typically hauls methane and they often purge those tanks with nitrogen. It’s unknown what actually occurred but the rescuers were on oxygen throughout rescue efforts.
About a half hour later, SLC Fire Department successfully rescued the man using a rope system to pull him out of the tank. The victim was transported for medical care but is in stable condition and expected to recover.
UPDATE: Adult male worker successfully rescued and transported.All rescuers are safe as well. A concerted effort with our firefighters, Heavy Rescue And Hazmat techs lead to this great outcome. Big thanks to those on site. #slcfire #confinedspacerescue #hazmat #technicalrescue pic.twitter.com/xlV1Iim6tC
— Salt Lake City Fire Department (@slcfire) December 14, 2021
There is an ongoing industrial investigation.
