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Man accidentally loaded into San Francisco garbage truck, freed in wild rescue
KTVU 2 San Francisco ^ | 09/02/2026 | Allie Rasmus

Posted on 09/03/2026 11:30:33 AM PDT by DFG

San Francisco firefighters rescued a man trapped inside a garbage truck early Wednesday morning after he was accidentally loaded into the vehicle along with the contents of a dumpster.

The rescue occurred near the intersection of Mason and Eddy streets.

According to San Francisco Fire Capt. Mariano Elias, the drama began around 4:10 a.m. when a Recology driver picked up a dumpster and emptied it into the back of his truck. Firefighters said the man had been digging around inside the dumpster before it was dumped into the vehicle.

Shouting for help

Bystanders immediately flagged down the Recology truck after hearing the man shouting and calling for help from inside the garbage container. The driver used the vehicle's compactor once before realizing someone was trapped.

Twenty-five firefighters responded to the scene and had to manually pull out the truck's contents to reach the victim, who was completely buried under a giant pile of debris. Firefighters said the Recology operator had used the compactor at least once, and it's unclear if the man was injured by the machine.

While the man remained trapped, paramedics managed to reach his arm through the trash to administer medication through an IV for his injuries.

After roughly two hours, firefighters freed the conscious man and transported him to a hospital.

The full extent and cause of his injuries remain unclear, including whether they resulted from the fall, being buried, or the compactor mechanism. One firefighter sustained a minor cut to his hand during the rescue efforts.

Recology workers later used construction equipment to clear the giant pile of trash left in the street and load it back into a dumpster.

Firefighters plan to interview the man at the hospital to determine what he was doing in the dumpster prior to the incident.

(Excerpt) Read more at ktvu.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: garbagetruck; sanfrancisco; soylentgreen

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To: DFG

Ike Turner, “Garbage Man”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFOQIohoEDI&list=RDAFOQIohoEDI&start_radio=1


21 posted on 09/03/2026 12:32:55 PM PDT by Yardstick
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To: MeanWestTexan

Dunno. I watched the first one in the theater one time, fell asleep there for the first sequel and never saw any of the many following ones. Despite being a lifelong SF fan.


22 posted on 09/03/2026 12:34:09 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: DFG
the Recology operator had used the compactor at least once,

Ouch.

Lesson here: always have a spotter when dumpster diving.

23 posted on 09/03/2026 12:35:04 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: Bigg Red
>>managed to reach his arm through the trash

——————

Would have a real story twist to the rescue if the ‘arm’ was a body part a serial killer threw in the dumpster.

24 posted on 09/03/2026 12:53:56 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's for sure.)
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To: frank ballenger

Anything set in outer space tends to get the SF label attached to it but Star Wars is more in the fantasy/fairy tale genre. The whiz bang space battles hooked the young boy set of any age and thus a lot of it’s popularity. It got me but I certainly understand why many said meh. Since Disney took over its now a long lost relic of my past.


25 posted on 09/03/2026 1:05:42 PM PDT by xp38
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To: frank ballenger; dfwgator

Ali MacGraw!

It’s your wife ...

Hillary Rodham Hussein


26 posted on 09/03/2026 1:06:21 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They Did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: whitney69

Waste of time to interview him, seriously. Either living in it or dumpster diving.


27 posted on 09/03/2026 1:09:22 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Resolute Conservative

dude found a winning ticket in that dumpster


28 posted on 09/03/2026 1:10:11 PM PDT by changeitback440
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To: Zathras

I feel like you deserve some kind of award for the soylent green reference here


29 posted on 09/03/2026 4:26:51 PM PDT by Mount Athos
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