California woman gets stuck head-first in CHIMNEY after being shut out in family feud
A 31-year-old San Diego woman was caught head-first in a chimney while attempting to slide down the flue into her home, after being shut out during a family feud. She was flinging objects off the rooftop shortly before 5 p.m. Sunday, authorities said, before attempting the unusual break-in.
The scenario had deteriorated by the time authorities arrived, with the unidentified woman caught in the center of the chimney, according to OnScene.TV.
READ MORE
Arizona teen gets stuck in chimney while trying to sneak into home after late night out
After being trapped for approximately an hour, she was rescued by firefighters and transported to a nearby hospital for a psychological evaluation. Firefighters discussed how to carry out the rescue at the brick cottage in the city's Paradise Hills district, according to a video from the site.
They gently pulled the woman back up the chimney and transferred her by stretcher to a waiting ambulance once they'd devised a plan. San Diego Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Tommy Charpentier said they determined the woman was caught upside down in the flue with her feet sticking up. He estimated that her head was about six feet off the ground and that she was about ten feet from the chimney's top.
OnScene.TV spoke with Charpentier, "We had crews put a plan into place and started working multiple angles. We had crews inside that were attempting to breach the wall to access her, as well as crews go to the roof of the house and use a tripod and a rope and wench system. And that's how we ended up getting her out."
He explained that the scenario was complicated since they needed to save the woman immediately but didn't want to jeopardize her safety by doing so. Her injuries were unknown at the time.
This isn't the first time a lady has attempted - and failed - to get access to her home via the chimney. In January 2021, firefighters in Phoenix, Arizona, rescued a 17-year-old girl who was caught in the chimney of a friend's home. The teen was said to have been trapped in the chimney for over an hour and a half before firemen arrived to save her.
After a late night out, the two girls had returned home to discover the residence on 19th Avenue and Baseline Road locked up. One of the girls planned to sneak into the house by climbing up the roof and into the chimney. However, she had no idea that her plan would turn into a disaster as she was caught halfway down the chimney and remained stranded for more than an hour before rescuers arrived.
