A 46-year-old man has been miraculously rescued after more than three hours trapped inside a backyard hole.
A major rescue operation was underway in Perth’s northern suburbs after a man fell and became trapped in a hole he had been digging for around four days.
Both paramedics and firefighters responded to reports the man became trapped inside either a hole or a trench in the backyard of a home on Orbell Road just before 3pm.
The man’s housemate, Dereck Coward, said the man was digging the hole to “split the sewerage systems” before a neighbouring house got “knocked down”.
Mr Coward said that while the man had been digging the hole for “about four days,” he had not located the sewerage system.
By 6pm crews were working to suck sand from inside the hole to make the extrication easier before the man was wheeled out on a stretcher and into an ambulance.
The ambulance left the scene around 6.30pm — with the man believed to have only suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Two ambulances were immediately dispatched to the scene but were unable to treat the man until firefighters extracted him.
Footage taken from above the pit — which is in the backyard of a property — showed the man covering himself in a blanket to stay warm as emergency services crowded around him.
It is believed at least one of his legs was trapped in the dirt beneath him.
At least a dozen firefighters were at the scene and were set to remove a neighbouring fence to better access the man — who had fallen into the hole before he became stuck.
The walls of the trench were barricaded by crews to prevent any dirt from collapsing on him.
A St John spokeswoman said while the man was conscious, it was unknown if he had suffered any injuries. He is understood to be in good spirits.
