A 14-month-old toddler fell into a PVC pipe and became trapped underground in Kansas on Sunday afternoon, BBC News reported. The entire family was outside their home in Moundridge, Kansas. The boy’s father was working on his car while his wife was walking around the yard with their 14-month-old son, Bentley. That’s when she saw him fall into a PVC pipe that ran more than 10 feet into the ground.
The parents called 911 just before 2 pm.
“It’s horrifying. It’s haunting to feel so helpless knowing that your child is in serious need of help,” said the boy’s father, Blake.
The Moundridge Police Department, Fire Department, and EMS responded. They found the toddler upright at the bottom of the pipe, which was approximately 12 inches in diameter.
“Looking down at him as he was screaming, he wanted out of there, he wanted help, and you can’t do anything. It’s just complete helplessness,” said Blake.
The rescuers quickly began working to free the child.
The police department especially highlighted Officer Ronnie Wagner for creating a catch pole out of a thinner PVC pipe and rope. Wagner, a veteran, had only been with the department for a month.
He called Jeremy Samland with EMS, who lives nearby and had a narrow PVC pipe in his garage.
“This isn’t a normal situation to respond to; now we’re trying to adapt on the fly, and the resources and the ability to do that is very impressive to have,” said Samland.
The two crafted a 16-foot PVC rod and funnelled fire department rope through it. Wagner tied a circle lasso at the end of it.
“Basically, I threaded some rope through some PVC pipe, tied a knot at the end of it so that it would slip,” said Wagner.
Rescuers lowered the rod and rope over the boy and lifted him to safety in approximately 20 minutes, unharmed.
“We used it to wrap around the child, basically right under his shoulders and lift him out of the hole,” said Wagner.
In a press release, the police department said, “We are relieved to report that the child, while understandably shaken, was unharmed and is once again safe. We extend our deepest gratitude to all the first responders for their swift and effective action, which transformed a dangerous situation into a successful rescue.”
