Worker swept into Omaha manhole during storm traveled mile in sewer before rescue

OMAHA, Neb. — Firefighters in Nebraska on Friday rescued two workers who fell into a manhole in downtown Omaha during a rainstorm, including one man who was swept more than a mile through sewer pipes before becoming trapped behind a metal grate, authorities said.

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The 41-year-old sewer pipe cleaning worker, whose name was not released, was rescued when an Omaha sewer maintenance worker heard him calling for help from a culvert beneath the grate, the Omaha World-Herald reported. The man was able to free himself from the rushing water just before it flowed into the Missouri River, according to the newspaper.

The man and a 50-year-old co-worker fell into a sewer drain at about 8:30 a.m. CDT, the World-Herald reported. The older worker was rescued shortly after he fell because he was still hooked onto a pulley, according to WOWT-TV.

They were working for a private contractor, Ace Pipe Cleaning, according to The Associated Press. Representatives with the company declined requests for comment, KETV reported.

The man who traveled down the pipes was conscious and was taken to an area hospital, the World-Herald reported. It was unclear what his condition was and what injuries he suffered. He was removed from the drain at about 10:50 a.m., according to the AP.

“It’s amazing with what that person went through that he survived,” Jim Theiler, assistant City Public Works director, told the newspaper.

The owner of Southside Plumbing, Josh Gruhn, has maintained and repaired the city’s underground pipelines, KETV reported.

“If you’re at the bottom of a hill, all of that surface water is going to be rushed away. I can only imagine the potential hazard of actually being down in a structure like that being swept,” Gruhn told the television station. “You’re dealing with significant amounts of water.”

“That’s probably at least a mile that you’ve gone in the sewer system and trying to keep your head above water and everything,” Jason Bradley, a battalion chief with the Omaha Fire Department, told KETV.

First responders told WOWT that they were helped by the widening of the sewer pipes. They begin at 36 inches in diameter and widen to 90 inches in diameter by the time the water reaches the Missouri River. That allows the sewer system to drain faster.

“I would be elated if I was this gentleman who was swept away.” Gruhn told KETV. “It could have went very, very unfortunate. I mean the circumstances could’ve been a lot more unfortunate than what they turned out to be.”