Firefighters Rescue Man Trapped In Chimney

DENVER (CBS4)- It took firefighters about two hours to rescue a man who was trapped in a chimney in downtown Denver on Thursday afternoon.

He was taken to the hospital for the injuries he suffered after falling into the narrow space. The extent of his injuries is unknown.

It appears the man fell 30-35 feet down an old incinerator chimney that was only two by three feet wide at the Denver Lofts in the 1700 block of Champa.

Investigators continued to work to determine how the man fell down the chimney. Firefighters were able to talk with the man while he was trapped.

Denver Fire Department spokeswoman Melissa Taylor says 28 firefighters, including members of the department's confined space rescue team, assisted in freeing the man.

"We'd like to emphasize that this is a great save on behalf of our crews, this is what they are trained to do," Taylor said.

Crews started breaking through the wall about 3:15 p.m. Thursday. The man had stopped sliding down the chimney at that time but did suffer some injuries.

Witnesses told CBS4's Lauren DiSpirito that two people, a man and a woman, were on the roof with the man before he fell into the chimney.

"They were acting really sporadic, running around going down the stairs, they were in the alley, going back up the stairs, running back on the rooftop," said Carin Snell, who works on the 5th floor of a nearby office building. "I've never seen anything like this before."

Police took both of them into custody. A Denver police spokesman says the man and woman could face trespassing charges. No word on whether the man who became trapped will face charges.

There were traffic delays around 18th and Champa due to the firefighter response at the lofts.