Firefighters in Kansas City, Missouri, performed a grim rescue operation on Tuesday after a man became trapped inside a porta-potty's waste tank. The Kansas City Fire Department was dispatched to the scene around 11:20 a.m. after receiving an alert.
Footage of the rescue, recorded by an individual identified as Eddie Bejarano, circulated widely on social media. Bejarano explained in a follow-up video that he had arrived to pick up eight porta-potty units when he noticed one was occupied.
According to Bejarano, he knocked on the door and urged the occupant to hurry. He then heard someone "playing with the water" inside before hearing yelling. The trapped individual reportedly stated they could not get out. A passing police officer stopped to assist, and upon opening the unit, discovered the man submerged in the waste.
Backup, including an ambulance, was called as the extent of the situation became apparent. Firefighters subsequently began cutting a larger opening into the waste tank using an electric saw to facilitate the man's extraction.
During the rescue, the trapped man could be heard saying he could not move his legs. A firefighter, audibly frustrated, instructed the man to "watch your f***ing self" and "get way back" as they worked to cut through the plastic.
At one point, a firefighter used his foot to push down a section of plastic that had been cut, which resulted in waste splashing onto his boot and pants, drawing exclamations of disgust from the crew.
The man was eventually freed. A subsequent video showed him being hosed down next to a fire engine.
It remains unclear how the man became trapped in the porta-potty's waste tank. The Kansas City Fire Department has been contacted for comment.