Firefighters rescue woman trapped between Portland buildings
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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Portland firefighters cut a hole through concrete and used an air bag and a soapy lubricant to free an Oregon woman who fell and became stuck in a narrow opening between two buildings Wednesday morning.
The woman spent about four hours in a space 8 to 10 inches wide. Local and national cable news broadcast footage of the rescue effort and showed the woman emerging from the space at about 7:30 a.m.
The woman raised her face, clenched her fists and shouted, "Oh, my God."
Firefighters said they hadn't gotten a clear explanation of how the woman got into the predicament. Lt. Rich Chatman of the Portland fire department said she had been seen smoking or walking on the roof of a two-story building before she fell about 10 to 12 feet.
The woman was wedged about four feet above the ground before rescuers installed braces to support her. Firefighters turned on a portable heater to keep her warm in near-freezing temperatures while they dropped an air bag into the opening to slightly spread the walls.
"She was in good spirits," Chatman said. "We just tried to reassure her ... we weren't going home without her."
After rescuers cut a window-size opening in the concrete wall, Chatman climbed in to help apply the soapy substance. The woman then wiggled toward the hole as the rescue team tugged on her.
She was taken to the Oregon Health & Science University hospital and appeared to be in good health, fire Lt. Damon Simmons said. Because she's a patient, the department won't release her name unless she gives her consent, he said.
The department's Urban Search and Rescue unit who extricated the woman train for situations such as building collapses and none of the tactics used Wednesday were improvised, Simmons said.
"They're ready for when the big earthquake hits," he said.
The unit in recent years has dealt with people who have fallen into sinkholes. But Wednesday's incident was the first time firefighters had come across someone stuck exactly like the woman was, Simmons said.
The woman spent about four hours in a space 8 to 10 inches wide. Local and national cable news broadcast footage of the rescue effort and showed the woman emerging from the space at about 7:30 a.m.
The woman raised her face, clenched her fists and shouted, "Oh, my God."
Firefighters said they hadn't gotten a clear explanation of how the woman got into the predicament. Lt. Rich Chatman of the Portland fire department said she had been seen smoking or walking on the roof of a two-story building before she fell about 10 to 12 feet.
The woman was wedged about four feet above the ground before rescuers installed braces to support her. Firefighters turned on a portable heater to keep her warm in near-freezing temperatures while they dropped an air bag into the opening to slightly spread the walls.
"She was in good spirits," Chatman said. "We just tried to reassure her ... we weren't going home without her."
After rescuers cut a window-size opening in the concrete wall, Chatman climbed in to help apply the soapy substance. The woman then wiggled toward the hole as the rescue team tugged on her.
She was taken to the Oregon Health & Science University hospital and appeared to be in good health, fire Lt. Damon Simmons said. Because she's a patient, the department won't release her name unless she gives her consent, he said.
The department's Urban Search and Rescue unit who extricated the woman train for situations such as building collapses and none of the tactics used Wednesday were improvised, Simmons said.
"They're ready for when the big earthquake hits," he said.
The unit in recent years has dealt with people who have fallen into sinkholes. But Wednesday's incident was the first time firefighters had come across someone stuck exactly like the woman was, Simmons said.
Why not just cut the hole around her, instead of next to her?
Maybe she wanted to be the middle of a threesome sandwich between two rock hard bodies.....
I have to say it was nice of the Fire Fighters to cover the cars in the area.
Maybe someone's trying to tell you it's time to quit smoking.lol ~ Glad she's o.k., good job to the fire rescurers & EMT!!!
After that amount of time you also have to worry about crush syndrome, a little scary altogether. Glad she is fine.
Thats Oregon for you!  LOL
DAMN, she escaped Darwin's theory
Despite everything, she never lost her glasses.
@Jill and not a hair out of place!
@Jill ---- or the lip piercing above her chin.
@newsreader That looks so stupid.
I heard she was up there smoking a little reefer madness and slipped and fell, probaly why she was
in such "good spirits" while she was being rescued...........Just kidding, glad she is OK and  "good job"
to the rescue team.
"... she was seeing smoking or walking on the roof of a two-story building before she fell..."
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My hunch, she wasn't just smoking a regular cigarette...
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 Personally, I think she should pay for the building repair as a consequence of her stupidity. She's dang lucky people heard her scream to get help. If this doesn't cure her smoking addiction cold turkey, I don't know what will.
Jane had trouble making friends no matter how hard she tried to fit in. Then she met two walls.
I told you that smoking was dangerous!!! Â Woman goes out for a smoke, probably talking on her phone, falls into a crack between two buildings. Clearly operator error. Pay attention to your surroundings.Â
Does that hole in the wall compromise the structural integrity of the building? I'm guessing the insurance company for the building owner (presuming the building owner files a claim - I wonder if the owners were even notified) will try to recoup the cost from the poor woman who fell. That could be an expensive "oops, I slipped"!
 @katiemcc Judging from the type of hole and where it is in the wall it would probably only weaken the wall a little. Some concrete blocks and mortar should patch it up just fine.
 @katiemcc i'm sure she'll sue, because people don't take responsibility for themselves. You're walking around on a rooftop, at night, smoking, and you fall... clearly operator error.Â
 @DT Yep lawsuit coming soon.
You won't BELIEVE why I'm late to work today....
"Authorities didn't immediately name the woman." After reading this story, a bunch of names come to mind.
While most reasonable people are either working or fast asleep, this unreasonable person is getting wedged in-between two buildings. Â Is there a Facebook status for that?
 @dkgiovenco So let me get this straight... you are calling people who happen to work the night shift and take a break ... unreasonable? How unreasonable of you.
 @DrugFighter I guess you missed the part of "either working"
 @dkgiovenco  @DrugFighter yeah you missed that part...either WORKING or alseep. Some insomniacs, might be awake but on a roof at two or three am?? That may be a tad unreasonable
That would SUUUUCCCCKKKK!
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Great job firemen and EMTs!
The firemen even did a job cutting the hole to minimize the repair effort. They are pretty nice to have around.
Vote for fire proposition xxx.
OMG how scary! So glad she is ok.
OMG. If she wasn't claustrophobic before, she surely must be now!
Kudos to the firefighters who got her out in one piece.
Like a concrete crevasse? Â Glad she's OK.
And on the next episode of Portlandia...
LOL. It must be a woman thang! LMAO!
That is one happy lady. Job well done.