2 days ago
Missing man, 29, heard calling for help from underground after suffering stomach-churning accident
A missing Texas man was miraculously found underground after he was heard shouting for help from inside a septic tank.
The unidentified 29-year-old man was rescued by firefighters on August 8 after a homeowner in Edinburg - about three hours outside of San Antonio - reported his uncle was missing.
The homeowner started to worry about his family member that morning after he failed to show up to his usual meeting place, a daycare, according to the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office.
While performing the wellness check at 9.05am, a deputy soon 'heard a faint noise coming from the ground' in the backyard, the sheriff's office said.
Soon enough, authorities discovered 'the man trapped underneath a tire in a septic tank' after falling 'through a small opening,' the Edinburg Fire Department said.
The victim was stuck in the smelly tank for about 12 hours as he was last seen around 9pm the night before, authorities said.
The fire department and medics quickly arrived at the scene to assist with the rescue as more than 15 first responders were seen guiding the man out of the confined space.
A dramatic image showed the victim's head poking out of the ground as he wore large headphones while rescuers guided him out.
The team of firefighters soon were able to break him free after cutting through the concrete and pulling him out of the tank safely.
He was taken to a hospital and remains in stable condition.
Daily Mail contacted the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office and Edinburg Fire Department for more information.
Edinburg locals expressed their gratitude toward the officials who saved the man's life after the fire department posted about the rescue on Facebook.
One wrote: 'Now that's professional. Awesome job everyone!'
'Thank you Edinburg Fire Department,' wrote another.
While many were thankful the man made it out safely, some were curious how it happened in the first place.
A commenter asked: 'May someone explain how this happened so we can avoid this happening to someone else?'
Frank Zungia, a septic tank professional in Edinburg, explained to Daily Mail what he thinks might have caused the man to fall in.
'Equipment and lids should last about 10 years or so. That's why it's good to do preventive maintenance every three to five years, so you can check if they're still in good shape or starting to go bad,' Zungia said.
'In this case, it could have already been deteriorating underground. The gentleman may have stepped in the wrong spot, and it gave way. It finished deteriorating and collapsed, sending him all the way through.'
Zungia heard about the frightening incident himself and tried to see if he could be of any help, he explained.
'I heard about it and actually called one of my buddies in the fire department to see if there was anything we could do to help them out,' the expert stated.
'But by then, they were already done — maybe they needed help replacing the lid or something, I guess, but no. Everything had already been taken care of.'
When asked about tires within septic tanks, such as the one that trapped the man, Zungia was confused and suggested it might have been a pipe, specifically a 'burning line.'
An investigation into the case is ongoing, according to the sheriff's office.
