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The incident was discovered at 6:33 a.m.Thursday when the Bridgeport Fire Department was dispatched to a medical emergency at 48 Highland Ave., said Av Harris, spokesman for the Bridgeport Police Department.
Upon arrival at the building, Rescue 5 was met by an occupant stating that the victim was in the garbage chute stuck between the third and the fourth floors. Rescue 5 immediately requested a Confined Space Rescue team, he added.
Firefighters found that the location of the victim was at the bottom of the chute on top of the compactor. Rescue crews worked to dismantle the garbage compactor in the basement, in addition to breaking through a wall on the first floor.
The extrication process lasted 50 minutes with the victim being removed from the base of the chute where the compactor was dismantled.
The patient was conscious and alert when removed from the space and was transported to the hospital. The extent of the injuries were undetermined when the patient left the scene, Harris said.
Bridgeport Police and Bridgeport Housing are working together investigating the incident.
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