Ottawa firefighters rescue person who fell down ventilation shaft

A person who fell down a ventilation shaft in Ottawa on Oct. 12, 2024. (Ottawa Fire Services/X)

Firefighters helped rescue a person that fell through the sidewalk and into a ventilation shaft in downtown Ottawa on Saturday.

Ottawa Fire Services say in a news release they received a call from police shortly before 1:15 p.m. reporting the incident at the intersection of Bank Street and Maclaren Street.

On arrival, firefighters found the person at the bottom of the shaft "approximately 10 to 15 feet" down below the ground.

The grate that covers the ventilation shaft was also at the bottom.

Fire crews set up a ladder and sent a rescuer down to help safely extricate the person out. The person was not injured, Ottawa fire says.

Firefighters brought the cover back up and re-secured it.

It's unclear how the person fell into the ventilation shaft.

The scene was cleared and left in control with the Ottawa police.