By Brian Hallenbeck
The Day
WATERFORD, Conn. 鈥� Firefighters used hydraulic tools Saturday to extricate a man whose feet had become stuck in an escalator inside the JCPenney store at the Crystal Mall.
Once freed, the man was taken by ambulance to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Michael Howley, the town鈥檚 director of fire services, said Wednesday.
Howley said he could not comment on the extent of the man鈥檚 injuries.
On-site store personnel referred a reporter to JCPenney鈥檚 corporate headquarters, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Crystal Mall store, in the midst of a going-out-of-business sale, is scheduled to close at the end of the day on May 26, employees said.
Howley said crews from the Jordan, Oswegatchie and Cohanzie fire companies were dispatched to the mall in response to a call that someone had been injured in a fall.
鈥淥nce on the scene, they found it was more than that,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 patient had some entrapment in the equipment of the escalator.鈥�
He said firefighters used hand tools and hydraulic tools to extricate the patient, 鈥渨hile delivering patient care,鈥� and turned the man over to Waterford Ambulance personnel, who took him to the hospital.
Waterford Ambulance鈥檚 director of operations did not return a phone message.
鈥淭he crews did a nice job,鈥� Howley said. 鈥淭hey originally thought it was a fall but they adapted well, went into rescue mode and did what they needed to do.鈥�
A Waterford firefighters鈥� union Facebook post said the first firefighters on the scene found 鈥渁 male who had both feet entangled between the top step and top landing of an escalator.鈥�
Rescuers used a hydraulic Rabbit Tool and a battery-operated Spreader, also known as the Jaws of Life, to free the man in about 10 minutes, the union鈥檚 post says, adding, 鈥淭he victim was alert and oriented and surprisingly calm throughout the entire ordeal.鈥�
Entrances to the escalator traveling from JCPenney鈥檚 first floor to its second floor were blocked and marked 鈥渙ut of service鈥� Wednesday. 鈥淧lease use the elevator,鈥� read a sign.
The down escalator was operating.
JCPenney announced in February that the Crystal Mall store would be closing.
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