Woman Trapped In Tunnel Hoisted To Safety At Building Demolition

LOS ANGELES, CA — A woman became trapped in a tunnel at a Westlake construction site and had to be freed by the Los Angeles Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue Team Tuesday morning.

Rescue teams were called to the site of a former office building demolition in the 500 block of Bixel Street just before 8:30 a.m., according to Ren Medina, LAFD spokesperson.

According to authorities, a 36-year-old woman made her way down to an opening leading into a tunnel and was unable to exit. First responders made contact with her and discovered she was trapped but uninjured. Crews worked to secure the tunnel and coax the woman to come out.

"After Urban Search and Rescue cut rebar to widen a clear path for better access they managed to extract the patient from the location by hoisting her up with a harness and specialized equipment, Medina said. "

The woman was transported to a hospital for further evaluation