North Dakota
Firefighters and a bystander save worker trapped in Bowbells, N.D. water tower
(Bowbells Volunteer Fire Dept. Facebook photo)
BOWBELLS, N.D. (AP KFGO) — A maintenance worker has been rescued after he was overcome by heat exhaustion while working inside a water tower in northern North Dakota.
Bowbells firefighters were called to the water tower just after 3:30 p.m. Saturday on reports of a man trapped inside. A post on the town’s volunteer fire department’s Facebook page said the man was performing maintenance inside the water tower when he “became physically exhausted” and was overcome by the temperatures.
Fire crews and a bystander – who happened to be an electric line worker and volunteered to help – pulled the man from the tower using ropes and pulleys. The worker was able to climb down from the tower on his own and was evaluated by first responders.
Bowbells’ tower has been shut down for about a month for maintenance. The town, which is about 20 miles south of the Canadian border, has been getting water from the Upper Souris Rural Water supply.