First responders rescue toddler trapped inside PVC pipe

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - Police in Kansas recently carried out an unusual rescue mission after a baby got stuck inside of a PVC pipe Sunday.

The Moundridge Police Department said it responded to the call in Wichita for a 14-month-old becoming trapped in a pipe of about 12 inches in diameter that was also between 10 and 12 feet deep.

Emergency crews worked for 15 to 20 minutes to recover the child, who appeared uninjured and was found upright at the bottom of the pipe.

Officer Ronnie Wagner constructed a makeshift “catch pole” using a smaller PVC pipe and some rope.

Using the contraption, the first responders were able to lift the child free from the pipe.

The 14-month-old, named Bentley, was not seriously injured, according to police.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to all the first responders for their swift and effective action, which transformed a dangerous situation into a successful rescue,” the police department said in a statement.

Body camera video caught the rescue with the “catch pole” that allowed first responders to lift Bentley to safety.

The Moundridge Fire Department said situations like this, where the person who needs to be rescued is so young, can often be tricky.

“Our first attempt was with a rope itself. The problem is that a 14-month-old child does not handle commands very well,” Moundridge Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Stucky said. “The child fought us and took the rope away from his body from where it needed to be. That’s why the PVC was a great addition. I actually leaned down as far as I could and ed the child’s head the rest of the way up, the last six feet or so.”

Bentley’s father, Blake, said the toddler was shaken up but soon returned to his “rambunctious” self.

Blake said Bentley’s mother saw the 14-month-old fall.

“I can’t imagine what she thought when she saw him fall because for all she knew, it was a sewer line, it was full of water or it was 50 feet deep. She had no idea,” Blake said.

The toddler was stuck at the bottom of the empty cylinder, but he was OK, at least physically.

Blake said the family plans to keep the hole’s lid covered up and padlocked in the future.

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