Mom frantically calls 911 when toddler falls down floor vent
Connecticut firefighters free 14-month-old who lifted cover and fell down ventilation shaft.
A toddler in Connecticut was rescued after falling 12 feet down a ventilation shaft and getting lodged inside on Tuesday, officials said.
The Waterford Fire Department said in a Facebook post the 14-month-old baby got stuck between the first and second floors of a home in Waterford, located just outside of New London.
"A lot of us have vast rescue training. We really put it to the test today," firefighter Tom Martin told FOX61.
Officials said that when they arrived on scene, they found that the toddler fell to a 90 degree elbow in the shaft, but was conscious and alert.
"His head was kind of pinned in there, but he had made enough room where he must have twisted it sideways to get him all the way down to the case," Martin said.
In a dramatic 911 call released by the fire department, the child's mother is heard pleading with the operator to send help.
"He's stuck in a vent in the house," she screams. "He's awake and he's screaming!"
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Firefighters were able to free the child from the vent in about 20 minutes.
The baby suffered some minor injuries, including abrasions on the stomach and legs, but is expected to be fine. Martin said that vent covers like the one the toddler fell down can become loose over time, especially if vacuum cleaners run over them.
"Thanks to extensive training and the unification of all on scene emergency personnel this incident was mitigated swiftly and luckily resulted in a very positive outcome!" the fire department said in its Facebook post.
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