911 call documents tense moments for woman stuck under house


3 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

ST. GEORGE — Dramatic 911 audio documents several tense minutes for a St. George woman, who called for help after getting stuck underneath her house.

The woman, according to firefighters, went beneath the home to investigate a water leak, but she ultimately had to place a frantic call for help when she couldn't get out on her own.

"I need the fire department to come under my house because I can't get out," the woman exclaimed at one point during the July 21 call, her voice trembling.

"I'm feeling closed in and I can't breathe," she said.

Through much of the call, the woman seemed to struggle to catch her breath.

"I have to go all the way back and I'm trying, but I'm not going to be able to squeeze out," the woman told the dispatcher.


I'm feeling closed in and I can't breathe. I have to go all the way back and I'm trying, but I'm not going to be able to squeeze out.

–Woman stuck under house


St. George Fire Capt. Robert Hooper said at the time firefighters found the woman in a crawl space about 18 inches below her home.

"It was pretty dark, so we did light it up and I think that helped ease her anxiety a little bit," Hooper said.

Hooper said firefighters moved some dirt and other debris out of the way and helped the woman climb out of the area.

Hooper encouraged homeowners to be careful when trying to fix problems around the house.

"I'd say no matter what home improvement it is you're doing – whether it's electrical, whether it's plumbing – if you don't feel comfortable doing it, just leave it to an expert," Hooper said.

Photos

Most recent Utah stories

Related topics

Utah
Andrew Adams

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast