Residents on Hale Aloha Way in Ceres awoke to the sound of a man screaming early Thursday morning and went outside to find him lodged headfirst in a storm drain.
Ceres firefighters responded to the 2200 block of Hale Aloha at about 2:30 a.m. and saw a 21-year-old man in the 18-inch diameter storm drain; only his calves and feet were visible, according to Ceres Battalion Chief Mike Lillie.
The man, identified as Jared Medeiros, of Ceres, was conscious and alert but reported having difficulty breathing.
Medeiros, who was intoxicated, told firefighters he had dropped some of his personal belongings through the grate that covered the drain, Lillie said. He had removed the grate and, while attempting to reach his belongings, fell in.
Medeiros was trapped there for about 40 minutes before firefighters arrived.
Lillie said firefighters fastened rescue webbing around the Medeiros' waist and legs and were able to pull him out within 13 minutes of arriving on scene.
Firefighters retrieved the Medeiros' keys, cell phone, and some cash from the storm drain.
Medeiros sustained scrapes and bruises but refused medical attention, Lillie said.
