Firefighters rescue worker from pile of plexiglass in south Ottawa

Fire crews provided a photo of the rescue in Ottawa's south-end. Nov. 16 2023 (X/Ottawa Fire Services)

Firefighters rescued a worker trapped underneath multiple sheets of plexiglass in Ottawa's south-end on Thursday afternoon.

Ottawa Fire Services posted to social media that they responded to a call just before noon on Nov. 16 at the 3300 block of Rideau Road, near the intersection of Bank Street about 28 kilometres south of downtown Ottawa.

The worker became trapped after a storage container holding them broke, causing their legs to be trapped underneath the heavy sheets of glass.

The extraction was conducted in a tight space and due to the weight of each slab, combined with the time it would take, moving each one manually was not an option, Ottawa fire said.

Fire crews used hydraulic tools, cribbing and lift bags to lift the sheets off of the worker.

Firefighters also used a sawzall to cut away some of the sheets.

The worker was successfully rescued from the pile just before 12:30 p.m.