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Man Rescued After Falling 20 Feet Down Sewer, Calling 911

(CBS) -- "Amazing" is what the chief of the Orland Fire Protection District calls the rescue of a man who fell into a sewer Saturday evening.

"We got a call into our dispatch center about 5:49 or so from a man who had indicated that he fell in a sewer, walking along Harlem Avenue," said Ken Brucki, the chief of the Orland Fire Protection District.

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The man fell about 20 feet somewhere between 143rd and 151st Street.

Brucki says his team of rescuers first had to find where the man was exactly - and then get him out.

He says they walked both sides of Harlem relaying information from a dispatcher who was talking to the man and then losing the connection several times.

After several minutes, they located him.

"We got two rescuers in the hole in very quick fashion, probably within 20 minutes of the initial setup."

Chief Brucki says the man injured both legs - but was conscious when he was taken out of the sewer and taken to a hospital.

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