Emergency responders successfully rescued a distressed toddler who had fallen into a narrow pipe in the yard of his home in Kansas. The 14-month-old boy, who was stuck about 12 feet underground, was heard screaming by his family members before they called for help. Officer Ronnie Wagner from the Moundridge Police Department was captured on body camera expressing relief as the uninjured boy was pulled out of the hole on a Sunday.
Wagner arrived at the scene shortly before the rescue operation began. The toddler had accidentally fallen into the hole after stepping on a loose lid while playing in the yard, witnessed by his mother. The boy’s father reassured him from above as emergency crews worked to safely extract him from the pipe. The toddler’s screams indicated that he was conscious, boosting the rescuers’ spirits during the operation.
Initially hesitant to be assisted by the rescue team, the toddler eventually cooperated as they devised various strategies to free him from the pipe. Wagner’s innovative use of a PVC pipe transformed into a makeshift catchpole proved crucial in securing the boy for extraction. Despite being dubbed “MacGyver” by the Police Chief for his resourcefulness, Wagner credited the entire crew for the successful rescue.
Following his retrieval from the pipe, the toddler was examined by medics as his relieved mother comforted him. Despite possibly sustaining minor bruises, the boy did not require hospitalization, much to the relief of his family and the rescue team. The purpose of the underground pipe remains unclear, with speculations that it may have been linked to a sump pump system for drainage.
Moundridge, a small town with a population of around 2,000 residents, is located approximately 40 miles north of Wichita. The incident, characterized as “pretty wild” by Wagner, had a happy ending thanks to the swift and effective response of the emergency personnel involved in the rescue operation.
