Worker falls down old coal chute outside hotel in Boston

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BOSTON (WCVB) -- A worker was injured early Friday when he fell down an old coal chute outside the Omni Parker Hotel in Boston.

Police responded just before 7 a.m. to a report of a person trapped at the hotel on School Street. A man who was making a delivery at the hotel fell about 20 feet into the chute when a plate covering the sidewalk outside the hotel gave way. Members of the Boston Fire Department were able to safely extract the victim, who was conscious and alert. He was taken to a local hospital to be treated. The extent of the victim's injuries was not disclosed. Boston Inspectional Services also responded to the scene. Officials said coal used to be dropped down the chute and then shoveled into the basement to feed furnaces for the hotel. The inspector said the sidewalk is owned and maintained by the Omni Parker House. The Omni Parker House is the longest continuously operating hotel in the United States and has been a landmark in Boston since 1855.