SAFD: Man rescued by firefighters after falling into manhole just north of downtown

Incident occurred around 5 a.m. in 100 block of Menchaca Street

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Fire Department firefighters rescued a homeless person who they say fell down a manhole just north of downtown early Friday morning.

The incident happened around 5 a.m. in the 100 block of Menchaca Street, not far from Interstate 10 and Colorado Street and just south of San Pedro Springs Park.

A battalion chief said the man likely slipped and then fell into the manhole. Fire officials say a lot of homeless people tend to go into a nearby drainage ditch just to get out of the wintry weather.

The normal entry point to the drainage ditch however was blocked by rainwater overnight, the battalion chief said.

The unidentified man suffered a leg injury, but was alert and conscious as he was taken by ambulance to an area hospital. The man’s name and age were not disclosed.

According to the San Antonio Fire Department website, as many as 11 units answered the call.

This is a developing story. Stay with KSAT12 both online and on-air for more information.


About the Authors:

Ben Spicer is a digital journalist who works the early morning shift for KSAT.

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.