Man rescued after falling 30 feet into old cesspool hole in Aiea

A man in his 70s was rescued after he fell into an apparent old cesspool hole in his backyard in Aiea this afternoon, according to the Honolulu Fire Department.

HFD received a 4:08 p.m. 911 call reporting a man trapped in a hole in the backyard of a Waoala Place home. HFD sent 17 units and about 24 personnel with the first unit arriving at 4:17 p.m.

The man had fallen into what HFD described as “possibly an old cesspool, approximately 30 feet deep and 15 inches wide.” He was injured but conscious and able to communicate with HFD personnel.

“Rescue and Hazardous Materials personnel conducted atmospheric monitoring to ensure the confined space was not inherently dangerous to life and health,” HFD officials said in a news release. “Simultaneously, rescue personnel utilized a rescue tripod and made entry to conduct a medical assessment, perform basic life support, then package and extricate the trapped man via rope rescue equipment.”

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services assumed care of the victim and took him to an emergency room in serious condition.