Firefighters used a Stokes basket to bring the man to safety at the Richfield Village Apartments off Clifton Avenue around 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16.
EMS responders treated him for minor injuries at the scene.
Whether the man was in there as long as he said couldn't be corroborated, Police Detective Lt. Robert Bracken said.
He told police he was trying to dig out a chair when he fell in and couldn't get out, the lieutenant said.
The man had a right to the rubbish, which is no longer considered personal property under the law once it's tossed.
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