MAN HEARD SCREAMING FROM INSIDE A GARBAGE TRUCK — THEN 25 FIREFIGHTERS BEGAN A 2-HOUR RESCUE

What started as a routine garbage collection in San Francisco suddenly turned into a desperate race against time when a passerby heard a man shouting from inside a garbage truck.

The truck had already collected a load of trash and compacted it.

But somewhere beneath the massive pile was a person who was still conscious — and calling for help.

The dramatic rescue unfolded early Wednesday morning, Sept. 2, near the 100 block of Mason Street in San Francisco.

A STRANGE SOUND FROM INSIDE THE TRUCK

According to officials, a Recology garbage truck was working its route shortly after 4 a.m. when a passerby noticed something unusual.

There appeared to be shouting coming from inside the truck.

The person immediately alerted the driver.

The driver stopped the operation and investigated, realizing the sounds were coming from the garbage compartment.

By then, the truck had already compacted some of its contents.

That meant firefighters could not simply dump everything out and rush in.

The trapped man was somewhere inside the enormous mass of garbage.

And every move had to be carefully considered.

25 FIREFIGHTERS, MORE THAN TWO HOURS

The San Francisco Fire Department arrived at approximately 4:11 a.m.

Around 25 firefighters were ultimately involved in the rescue.

Instead of using the truck’s normal unloading process, crews began removing the garbage manually.

Bag by bag, piece by piece, they worked through the compacted material.

The operation lasted more than two hours.

The situation was especially dangerous because the man was buried beneath a huge quantity of trash, while rescuers also had to avoid causing additional pressure or movement that could worsen his condition.

At one point, emergency medical personnel were able to provide medical treatment while he was still partially buried.

HE STAYED CONSCIOUS

Perhaps the most remarkable part of the rescue was that the man remained conscious and communicative while firefighters worked to reach him.

Crews eventually located him and carefully pulled him from the truck.

He was then placed on a stretcher and transported to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in serious condition.

Officials were particularly concerned about possible crush-related injuries because of the amount of pressure he had endured while trapped beneath the garbage.

HOW DID HE END UP INSIDE?

Investigators believe the man had been inside a dumpster before it was emptied into the garbage truck.

Authorities have not publicly established every detail of how he entered the container or exactly what happened before the truck began its route.

Some reports indicate he may have been searching through the dumpster before the collection.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Recology described the incident as highly unusual.

A company spokesperson said a comparable situation had not occurred for roughly 15 years.

The company and emergency officials also stressed how dangerous it is to enter dumpsters or garbage containers because collection vehicles can compact their contents without warning.

ONE WARNING MAY HAVE CHANGED EVERYTHING

The rescue also highlighted the importance of the passerby’s decision to stop and alert the driver.

Had the shouting gone unnoticed, the man could have remained buried inside the truck as the garbage collection operation continued.

Instead, one warning triggered a massive emergency response.

The driver stopped.

Firefighters arrived.

And for more than two hours, rescuers carefully worked through the garbage until they finally reached him.

The man survived the ordeal and was taken to hospital for treatment.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are still being investigated, but one thing is already clear: a routine morning garbage run became a race against time — and the sound of a stranger calling for help may have made all the difference.