A 32-year-old man who fell into an underground cistern in Monson, Massachusetts, is expected to survive after he was rescued by emergency crews Monday night.
Monson police said their regional dispatch center received a call around 8 p.m. about an individual who had fallen 30 feet into an underground storage tank. The tank, located in a remote section of woods, is believed to have serviced the former Monson Developmental Center off Upper Palmer Road, a state facility that shut down in 2012.
The Monson police and fire departments responded, along with the Western Massachusetts Technical Rescue Team. The technical rescue team had to set up a tripod system with ropes and pulleys so they could lower a rescuer into the well to retrieve the injured patient, fire officials said. Once out, the patient still had to be brought several hundred yards to a waiting ambulance.
Crews were eventually able to rescue the man around 11 p.m., and he was taken to an area hospital. His condition was not immediately known.
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Police said the man's injuries are not believed to be life threatening.
Police said Upper Palmer Road was impassable for a time as emergency crews attempted to rescue the man.
Monson, which has just over 8,000 residents, is located just east of Springfield along the Connecticut state line.
