40-Year-Old Man Rescued After Getting Stuck in Children’s Tube Slide

A man’s trip down a playground tube slide took an unexpected turn when he became trapped inside in an extremely uncomfortable position — prompting a rescue.

The Town of Vernon Fire Department confirmed that firefighters were dispatched to Northeast Elementary School in Rutland City, Vt. on Saturday, Aug. 16 to rescue a 40-year-old man who had gotten stuck inside a slide on the playground in a statement on Facebook.

“First units arrived on scene and found the patient wedged feet and head first down the slide and stuck in the middle portion,” the fire department said.

Due to the man’s placement in the slide, “additional apparatus and manpower” were requested to help extricate him. Additional fire units responded, with one “deploying tools for the extrication” while another set up an “aerial ladder” in order to “stabilize the section of slide” the firefighters were removing to reach the man. 

In the meantime, the fire department said first responders “provided oxygen” to the man, as he dealt with “extreme discomfort” and “hot temperatures.” The fire department also noted that “ventilation” was set up “to help cool the space” where the man was stuck. 

The department released photos of the operation, showing firefighters stationed at different points along the slide. Some worked from the entrance, while others tried to access the man from the middle section. 

A narrow white ventilation tube was inserted into the structure, extending from a section of the slide near where firefighters were working, allowing them to pump in fresh air and provide the trapped man with oxygen.

An aerial ladder extended overhead with ropes hanging down, and additional images captured crews dismantling part of the slide to reach him. In one image, a firefighter assisted him out of the tube as colleagues held aside the detached pieces.

Firefighters noted that the 40-year-old man was “freed within 30 minutes and was evaluated on scene by EMS.” He “refused treatment and transport to a local emergency room.”

Firefighters did not say what events led to the man being stuck in the slide. 

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“While this is a unique call for service for the fire department, the professionalism shown on scene was exemplary,” the Town of Vernon Fire Department said in a statement.

Several people responded to the incident on Facebook, including one person who wrote, “Father of the year goes to this man! And one hell of a story to tell with his kids!” Another commented, “Just a big kid having fun with his little ones. Glad he is okay.”

Another said, the incident “unlocked” a “new fear.” They added, “Kudos to that man for being active with his kids, and for teaching me a valuable lesson about tube slides.”