A 23-year-old man got locked up inside a vault of a jewellery store in New York City's Diamond District for about 10 hours overnight. As per reports, he was finally rescued by the New York Fire Department when the timer went off and the doors automatically unlocked.
The man became trapped inside the 580 Fifth Avenue building at around 7 pm on October 24 and was eventually released at around 6 am on October 25. The man is thought to have become trapped while trying to open his safety deposit box inside the DGA security vault, reports ABC7.
According to authorities, when a vault door is closed, it functions like a time clock, meaning it cannot be accessed until a specific time. The staff inside the facility closed the vault without realising the customer was still inside.
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) responded to the event by dispatching rescue teams in order to recover the man, reports USA Today. After assessing the vault's several folds, the rescue crew started sawing through around 30 inches of concrete. After ten hours, they arrived at the metal plate, which needed to be cut using torches.
"We determined that at that point, after about 10 hours, we would hold off and see if the doors would open automatically. The problem with the plating is we'd have to use our torches on them which would infect the environment and that person inside the vault," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief John Sarrocco in a press briefing, according to USA Today.
{{/usCountry}}"We determined that at that point, after about 10 hours, we would hold off and see if the doors would open automatically. The problem with the plating is we'd have to use our torches on them which would infect the environment and that person inside the vault," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief John Sarrocco in a press briefing, according to USA Today.
{{/usCountry}}Rescuers used video footage and a phone to communicate with the man throughout the night. He stayed within the 20-by-40-foot vault until the doors opened at roughly 6:15 am, at which point he was released. Later he was also examined by emergency medical services, reports the Miami Herald.