151 West Tennyson Road
Fulton, MO 65251
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17th, 2023
CONTACT: Kevin Coffelt Fire Chief
Fulton Fire Department
City of Fulton
573.592.3151
firechief@fultonmo.org
Fulton Fire Department responds to Westminster College campus for a confined space rescue
(FULTON, MO) –
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 10:56 a.m., the Fulton Fire Department was called to respond to a reported female stuck in a storm drain pipe on the campus of Westminster College. The female subject entered the storm drain from an off-campus location and followed it on campus.
The first crew arrived 5 minutes later and located a female patient stuck in a storm drain pipe. The patient alerted a student walking in the area by screaming. Fire personnel were able to communicate with the patient through the drain pipe but were unable to see her. The patient had been in the storm drain for an estimated 18 hours.
Mutual aid was requested from the City of Columbia Fire Department Confined Space Rescue Team.
After working nearly 3 hours, the female patient, in her early 30s, was extricated from the storm drain pipe. The patient was showing signs of hypothermia. The patient was flown to the University of Missouri Hospital by MU2 helicopter for treatment.
This was a multi-agency incident that included the Fulton Fire Department, Columbia Fire Department, City of Fulton Police Department, Callaway County Ambulance District, Callaway County Sheriffs Department, City of Fulton Street, Utility and Engineering Departments, Westminster College Staff, Mo Dot, Callaway County Emergency Management, and Callaway County Joint Communications.
No students were in any danger during this incident.
Location: Westminster College Campus, Fulton, Mo.65251