Man Drowns in Storm Sewer Sean O'Flaherty SHEBOYGAN - A 41-year-old man dropped his cell phone down a storm sewer. He then removed the iron gate and went in after it, head first. He got stuck and then drowned in a foot of water.

Lieutenant Tim Eirich of the Sheboygan Police Department says the man was wedged with his head and shoulders underwater in a vertical storm drain in front of his home.

A child eventually saw what had happened and ran to get help.

Jon Back"We could not get him out; he weighed well over 300 pounds," neighbor Jon Back explained. "Only his feet was up above the ground."

It took six firefighters to pull the man's body from the sewer. His name has not been released.

Sheboygan County Coroner David Leffin ruled the man's death as an accidental drowning.

Authorities say the cell phone was found at the bottom of the sewer.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=616376

Pursuit of lost phone is fatal Victim got trapped in sewer, drowned By JESSE GARZA jgarza@journalsentinel.com Posted: June 6, 2007

A 41-year-old Sheboygan man drowned in about a foot of water Wednesday after becoming trapped in a sewer while attempting to retrieve his cell phone.

"It was just an everyday event that ended in tragedy," Lt. James Veeser of the Sheboygan Police Department said.

According to Veeser, the incident was reported about 12:35 p.m. near the man's home in the 3200 block of N. 12th St. in Sheboygan.

When police arrived a bystander was attempting to pull the man from a storm drain. The man weighed more than 300 pounds and was trapped head-first.

Witnesses told police that the man was talking on his cell phone and a short time later was seen in the sewer.

"He apparently dropped (the phone) into the sewer," Veeser said. "It then appeared he attempted to get the phone out with a rake."

The man then apparently lifted the sewer grate and became trapped after losing his balance and falling in.

There was approximately a foot of water in the sewer at the time, and when police and firefighters pulled the man out he was not breathing and did not have a pulse.

Rescue personnel attempted to resuscitate the man, who was taken to Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center and pronounced dead, Veeser said.

The man's phone was found at the bottom of the sewer, he said.

Sheboygan County Coroner David Leffin ruled the death an accidental drowning.

The victim's identity was not released Wednesday.

Submitted on 06/07/2007

Submitted by: Kurt S
Reference: Thursday, June 7,2007 - http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/7880471.html and http://www.jsonline.co

Copyright © 2007 DarwinAwards.com

James said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
More tidbits of new info on this interesting story! It took SIX firefighters to free him? Gadzooks, I hope they got OT/hazardous duty pay for their efforts!

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat
I don't think there's anything new here that hasn't already been covered by the other submissions we've kept. Thanks for sending this in, Kurt.

Graham said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat
We have this one multiple times - nothing new here.

Chip said:
Definitely Toss: Repeat
Thanks for sending the story, Kurt, but we already have this one under consideration

Shadow said:
Definitely Keep: For Darwin's Eyes
I dont see the repeats so I will let Darwin decide

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