Man Rescued After Two-Story Home Collapses
Published: November 7, 2005
A 42-year-old man was rescued nearly two hours after a two-story house in northeast Baltimore collapsed on him on Saturday.
The collapse occurred at about 3:25 p.m. at the home on Vineyard Lane, said Baltimore Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright.
The man remained conscious but was covered with debris up to the waist and reported losing feeling in his legs, Cartwright said. The house was being demolished, and fire officials were unsure why the man was in the restricted area.
“I heard a big crash and someone scream,” said neighbor Julia Whiting, who said she had seen a demolition team on the property for about a week. She has been moving into the house next to the property.
Whiting said she came running outside and saw a frantic man in a pickup truck, who knew the trapped man. She said the two were apparently searching for housing materials to sell.
She also questioned the professionalism of the demolition and said the property should have been secured better. She said there were a few cones with caution tape to prevent people from walking onto the property.
Other neighbors at the scene said they had been having problems recently with aggressive scavenging in the neighborhood.
The rescue team had to use inflated air bags and four-by-fours to stabilize the home before pulling the trapped man to safety, Cartwright said.
“This building was already partially demolished, creating an unstable and unsafe environment,” he said.
The man was removed at about 5:30 p.m. A team of about 65 firefighters, including a special rescue operations unit and collapse team, participated in the rescue, Cartwright said.
The man was awake, oriented and began to regain feeling in his legs once he was removed, Cartwright said. He was taken to a local hospital.
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