NBC affiliate station KNSD reported that this took place just before 5 p.m. local time on Sunday. As police were responding, they received an update that the woman was stuck inside the chimney, prompting them to request the assistance of fire rescue crews.
An aide to the watch commander officer with the San Diego Police Department told Newsweek that a woman called and told police her daughter was throwing items on the roof. The woman’s daughter then tried to crawl down the chimney and became stuck.
In addition to crews from the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, mutual aid was provided by two other fire departments from Chula Vista and National City.
Tommy Charpentier, the battalion chief for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, told ONSCENE TV that crews found the woman stuck headfirst with her feet up the chimney and was mid-way down. Her head was about six feet from the ground.
“We had crews put a plan into place and started working multiple angles,” he said.
Officials with the police department said the woman was stuck in the chimney for about an hour. Charpentier said it took crews about half an hour to pull the woman out from the top of the chimney and additional time to get her off of the roof. According to a report by the fire department, crews tied ropes to the woman’s feet and attached a cable to hoist her out with a winch and tripod system.
The aide with the police department said the woman was then taken to a hospital.
Rescues inside confined spaces require skill and coordination.
According to the American Society of Safety Professionals, there are important steps rescuers must keep in mind. Conducting rescue drills help prepare professionals for a real-world incident. And, having a team will help ensure the rescue is successful.
“Safety professionals need to ensure that they have fully equipped and trained confined space rescue team [CRST] ready to respond in an emergency situation,” the piece stated
Members of this team can include individuals in local emergency response and an outside contractor.
“Some of the challenges we faced was obviously we wanted to work quickly,” Charpentier said. “When we got here, the victim was awake and speaking, but we wanted to work quickly to ensure her condition wouldn’t deteriorate while she was stuck inside the chimney.”
Mónica Muñoz, the media services manager for the fire department, told Newsweek the department has used confined space rescues in the past to save people from storm drains, drainage tunnels, construction sites, cliffs and ships.
A man accused of trying to break into a house in Silver Springs, Maryland, was also stuck in a chimney.
Newsweek reported fire crews rescued the man and took him to receive medical attention.
Updated 02/23/2022, 2:42 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from San Diego Fire-Rescue Department Media Services Manager Mónica Muñoz and additional information.
