The Delta police have a simple message for the public – don’t do drugs as they might cause you to be struck in a storm drain tunnel.
The bizarre rescue incident occurred on Aug. 31 just before 6 a.m. when police received a call as a result of the complainant hearing a man’s voice screaming for help.
The cries from help were coming from the storm drain grate in the 11800 block of 96th Avenue.
“Officers attended and could hear the voice screaming ‘call the police’ repeatedly beneath the roadway,” said Acting Insp. James Sandberg, public affairs coordinator for Delta police. “Police and Delta firefighters located a one-metre concrete storm drain tunnel in the creek by the train tracks in the 11900 block of 96th Avenue where they found a pair of shoes and a T-shirt. Police made extensive crisis intervention and de-escalation attempts to improve dialogue with the man through the tunnel and through multiple manholes on 96th Avenue with limited success as he would only scream and yell ‘call the police.’”
Sandberg said officers, using a live streamed body worn camera on a fire department pole, contained the man in the tunnel between a manhole in the 11700 block and a manhole in the 11800 block so as he would not crawl out.
The Lower Mainland Integrated Emergency Response Team (ERT) and crisis negotiators arrived and took over the scene and negotiations until the ERT members entered the manhole and talked the man into coming out.
Sandberg said police apprehended the man under Section 28 of the Mental Health Act just before 10:30 a.m.
He said the man had significant road rash and bleeding to his hands, forearms, knees, shins and feet from his extended time in the confined concrete water tunnel.
He advised paramedics that he smoked speed and didn't recall when he entered the tunnel.
Officers suspect the man was in the storm sewer pipe from approximately 3:30 to 10:20 a.m. He had crawled between 250 and 300 metres into the storm drain.
Resources included police, fire, paramedics, the ERT members and the City of Delta Engineering/Works Department.
“We never know what the next call for service may be, and we must try and prepare for anything,” said Sandberg. “When dealing with confined space, and drug induced paranoia, risk of harm is high for the person involved, as well as first responders.”
