Horrifying moment man gets foot trapped in escalator as frantic workers try to free him
WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT - A rescue mission took place to free a man after his foot remained trapped in an escalator at a shopping centre.
A man had to be rescued after his foot got caught in an escalator, the latest incident of this kind in recent weeks.
Emergency services rushed on Monday (July 10) to a shopping centre located on Balboa Avenue in Paitilla, Panama City.
The distressing incident took place as the man was carrying out repair work on the escalator.
The Panama Fire Brigade worked at length to free the man, with sub-lieutenant Juan Bonifatti saying the operation lasted between 25 and 30 minutes.
While the experts performed special manoeuvres to free the man without causing further injury, one of the team members held him so that he would not lose his balance.
The rescue mission was carried out with a series of special tools including hydraulic equipment.
After the rescue, the man received first aid from the fire brigade and was then taken to a medical centre in the city to fully assess the injury he had suffered.
Part of this difficult operation was caught on camera by onlookers, who shared clips on social media.
These upsetting images showed the broken shoes being trapped in the mechanism on the right-hand side of the escalator.
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������������ | LO ÚLTIMO: Bomberos liberan el pie a un hombre que quedó atorado en una escalera eléctrica en un Centro Comercial en la ciudad de Panamá.
— Alerta Mundial (@AlertaMundial2) July 10, 2023
Autoridades explicaron que utilizaron herramientas especiales para poder liberar el pie del ciudadano de 40 años, quien recibió los… pic.twitter.com/RRNrSt61u6
The man, whose foot was protected only by a white sock, stood holding firmly to the handrail.
The gears were seemingly loosened with a tool, and an electric saw also appeared to be used to eventually allow hit foot to be freed.
The clip also clearly showed how this operation needed several people to be safely completed.
In late June, a woman lost her leg following a horror injury on a travelator at the Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.
Her leg reportedly "fell through a gap" and was dragged under the travelator, severing her muscles, tendon and bones.
The 57-year-old woman has since taken her first steps with the help of physiotherapists.
Speaking of his mother's ordeal, her son Kittirat said the woman is likening the experience to learning to walk again as if she was a child.
He said: "My mum walked for 15 minutes and must practice every day. It's very encouraging.
"She's still as beautiful as ever despite everything that has happened. I hope that soon she'll be running faster than me."