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Subscribe to RSSTucson firefighters rescued a man and woman who were trapped in a storm drain just hours before torrential rains flooded the city and surrounding areas.
The fire department responded just after 10:30 a.m local time Saturday after a passerby heard the screaming from the drain and called emergency services, NBC News station KVOA reported.
The pair, who showed signs of heat-related illness, had entered the drain willingly and became disoriented, officials told KVOA.
They spent more than eight hours in the drain, azcentral.com quoted Tucson Fire Capt. Barrett Baker as saying.
The situation was even more serious because of storms that were heading towards Tucson later in the weekend, Baker added.
"Being caught in a storm drain during a monsoon would've made this a body recovery rather than a rescue," Baker told azcentral.com. "Storm drains are just that -- storm drains. They are not people drains."
Heavy rain flooded roads throughout Tuscon on Sunday, KVOA reported in a separate story, leaving many motorists stranded.
Firefighters had to rescue three elderly people who had tried to cross a wash, KVOA reported. A 93-year-old woman had to be carried out of the torrential waters in a stretcher.
"You don't know what it looks like underneath that running water so when in doubt do not drown, turn around," Northwest Fire Captain Adam Goldberg told KVOA. "Somebody is not getting the message and the message is quite simple: If there is running water don't try to cross it."
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Leave a Comment:
Darwin loses again...at least they are safe...I hope they are charged with something, this kind of irresponsibility can put responders at great risk
Maybe homeless or people with limited mental functions would wonder into a sewer drain. It is typical of kids exploring to end up in these things. Torrential rains in Tucson ? whoa.....I thought they had the drought there,
They were probably trying to find a new route between Mexico and the US.
I'm thinking these are a Darwin awards honorable mention.
You ever think maybe the couple are homeless - yet you all want to criticize and put them down even more than they already are. Such gracious folks!
Surprise - homeless people arent that stupid.
I wish there were people drains.
Heck of a place to decide to have sex.
Oh get a storm drain!
I'm old(er) but I'm not as stupid as anyone mentioned in this story. What happened to good old common sense?
Common sense went out the window so long ago that nobody knows the meaning anymore sad but true.
Many people have become followers and are afraid to use their own judgment. They do "what they are told" but once in a while, they wander away and run into trouble. These are the lost sheep.
Common sense it now the change you have in your pocket. The original is under a rock somewhere hiding from the loons.
Perhaps common sense isn't quite as 'common' as you think.
Common sense is being bred out of the human race. Thats why we have corporations trying do things such as LEAN and Sigma Six programs. Honestly, if you're employees are that lacking on common sense should they still be working at your place, and if so, what does that say about management? Oh wait, management has no balls and has to hire a consulting firm to make the tough decision due to a lack of responsability.
Idiots... I would have dropped them a can of bread crumbs and encouraged them to move in the general direction the water is moving... and move quicker than the water.
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times.... We cannot continue to save stupid people from killing themselves. They vote stupid, reproduce morons and end up getting promoted out of their current jobs to become someone else's problem and end up running the company.
Why were they even in a storm drain?
They did not have money for a room?
Why on earth would they have entered a storm drain willingly? There is more to this story....
looking for a restroom ?
Are you kidding? Storms drains are dark mysterious places (and not too yucky) that can go on for miles. What kid doesn't want to explore them?
They were following some clown with a red balloon going on about how "we all float down here.."
This is a typical first date for a Progressive/Democrat/OWStard.
Hey baby, wanna go out. I'll take down a sewer hole and we can P00P together.
Okay, the obvious political troll aside, this is still funny.
Nitwitt Robmee's social welfare program at work! Elect the Nitwitt and this can be YOUR new home as well.
Just look at all those jobs that the Nitwitt wants to create, you know... Foreclosure Specialists and Banksters.
RALMFAO!
They went in there williingly and now the tax payers had to get them out?
They had better pay every cent back to the city for getting them out and that is a fact either with money or work at a animal shelter or clean the streets or something because that is just not fair not fair at all and that is a fact.
Okay, it is a very stupid thing to do. It is common for city workers to find jewelery and money in storm drains when they are cleaning them. Maybe they were trying to find a way to suppliment their income. Or, maybe they were just having sex.
really, we don't care why they went in there, but the fact they were screaming for help means they need to repay the community for the expense of their rescue....clean the streets....etc....It does look like they were hot and wanted to get in the shade. Not prime time citizens here.
Instead of any kind of fine they should have to pick up trash along the roadways for about 5hrs each day for the next 30 days - do something useful for a change.
Yeah, well now, the real concern is those of us who are minding our own business, mind you, walking along being unobtrusive, unobtrusive, mind you, and are suddenly grabbed, grabbed, mind you, held while someone cuts open a storm drain and tosses us within.
YEAH.!!!! What about US..????
We're lumped into the same category, category, mind you, as the loonies who do this ON PURPOSE..!!!! (On PURPOSE, mind you...!!)
(It's London Olympics time ..... I hadda through in those "mind yous")
(Hmmmmm Is there a storm drain competition .....?)
from the comments on here sounds like a bunch of pitiful human beings, have you no compassion??? No wonder your race is dieing, you kill each other over nothing you care for no one but yourselves and every day you destroy a little more of your world, Your days are numbered unless you realize what a mess you have made of your world and do something about it...................
Hey Silver,
Aren't you human. From your comment you sound like you think you are on some order above all the rest of humanity. The one most disappointed and disillusioned will be you if your predictions are real. You will then realize you have been part of the problem all along, and a bigger part than your arrogance will allow you to admit I think. Isn't humility a b----?
They entered the storm drain willingly.
Okay, what are they not telling us? I have my suspicions, you have yours. Anyone with further information, please post it.
When I read the article it sounds as though they are possibly homeless, trying to escape the heat and got caught in the storm drain? Peoples plight in America is getting worse, I'm fortunate not to be homeless but there are definately some heartless comments. Most Americans are one paycheck away from homelessness!
illegals who run drugs or try and enter the US regularly use storm drains.it is a known fact. all i know for a fact also is this administration as well as the last several have done nothing about our porous borders.liberal media would show you their faces if they were caucasian though.i'd take my money to vegas with odds that say they're illegal and got sick from heat exhaustion, lack of water and a fresh flow of oxygen.they might have been down there all day waiting for dusk and couldn't handle the heat.
She looks like a man. I guess the females chinese scientist was right about negro females (NOT AFRICAN FEMALES) are the least attractive due to their testerone levels. But heh the Negro Males is the most attractive man.
I can hear all the afrocentrics now ranting and screaming calling me racist. The scientist stated only 69% of them fit this category. Negro women don't want to get into shape or change their behavioral problems.
One man's opinion.
Once again people love to make their assumptions about Tucson. People enter the storm drains in Tucson ALL THE TIME...they can be homeless, bored teenagers, curious, graffiti artists, etc. Generally, the drains can be long, up to a few miles, but they really are not that complex, generally a main drain with some smaller drains branching off. If they had just turned around a backtracked the way they came in, they would have gotten out no problem. Still, panic and darkness can be "disorienting" and entering a drain during monsoon season shows an incredible lack of judgement.