Getting my foot down a storm drain cover

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SUMMARY

The discussion revolves around a humorous yet alarming incident where a user got their foot stuck in a storm drain cover and the subsequent attempts to free it. After walking 3/4 mile to an industrial estate for help, the user faced various unsuccessful rescue attempts, including the use of an angle grinder and levers. Ultimately, the user successfully freed their foot by removing their shoe. The conversation also touches on other similar experiences of getting body parts stuck in tight spaces, emphasizing the importance of having assistance and tools available during such situations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic safety protocols when working with tools like angle grinders.
  • Knowledge of emergency response techniques for freeing stuck limbs.
  • Familiarity with the risks associated with DIY projects, particularly in tight spaces.
  • Awareness of the importance of having a second person present during potentially hazardous tasks.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research safety measures for using angle grinders and other power tools.
  • Learn about first aid techniques for treating burns and injuries from tools.
  • Explore strategies for safely working on vehicles and other tight spaces.
  • Investigate emergency preparedness tips for DIY projects, including having proper tools and assistance.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for DIY enthusiasts, automotive mechanics, and anyone involved in home improvement projects, particularly those working alone or in potentially hazardous environments.

wolram
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So i was walking along carefree as you like when i came to a sudden stop, i noted that my right foot had wedged in a storm drain cover, no matter how i tried i could not get it free, i decided the only option was to walk 3/4 mile to the industrial estate with the cover attached to my right foot
Arriving at the industrial site i shouted a guy for help, he took one look and went away, seconds later he returned with an angle grinder, within seconds of him stating the the angle grinder my jogging bottoms were on fire, the burns only hurt a little bit.
Two other guys that had been standing by went away and produced 6 foot long levers, but when they applied them the pain was to much.
I decided that the only way to get my foot out was to to take my shoe off, and you know what it worked.
 
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BUWAHAHA! Wolram, you are precious! Hope the foot feels better!
 
wolram said:
So i was walking along carefree as you like when i came to a sudden stop, i noted that my right foot had wedged in a storm drain cover, no matter how i tried i could not get it free, i decided the only option was to walk 3/4 mile to the industrial estate with the cover attached to my right foot
Arriving at the industrial site i shouted a guy for help, he took one look and went away, seconds later he returned with an angle grinder, within seconds of him stating the the angle grinder my jogging bottoms were on fire, the burns only hurt a little bit.
Two other guys that had been standing by went away and produced 6 foot long levers, but when they applied them the pain was to much.
I decided that the only way to get my foot out was to to take my shoe off, and you know what it worked.

Evo said:
BUWAHAHA! Wolram, you are precious! Hope the foot feels better!

Honestly, if you two ever hooked up it would probably instigate some sort of apocalypse.

How's your foot now, Woolie?
 
lisab said:
How's your foot now, Woolie?

Bare?
 
I have to admit that taking your shoe off was the first thing I thought of, but that's okay - lots of people lack experience in sticking their feet down a storm drain cover.

I did run into a similar situation, except worse. I was working on my son's car in the driveway and was exploring the possibility of removing a bolt in his frame. Except I couldn't see where the other end of bolt went, since the other end was inside the hollow frame. So I stuck my finger into a hole in the frame to feel where the bolt went - except it was an extremely tight fit.

Fortunately, going in, the skin stretches the skin tight, so as to make your finger as skinny as possible. Unfortunately, coming out, the skin bunches, making it impossible to get your finger out.

That's why you should never work on a car alone. Now I was lying in the driveway with my finger stuck in the car frame and weighing my options. I could lie there and imagine how handy it would have been to have a bar of soap or some oil or some other lubricant laying nearby - or I could wait until someone walked by my house and tell them I'd gotten my finger stuck in the car and ask for some help - or I could just suck it up and accept the fact that I was going to rip some skin off pulling my finger out of the car.

Somehow, I just couldn't quite imagine myself laying there for who knows how long only to get laughed at.

But I sure wish it happened to someone else and I was the person that happened to walk by.
 
By storm drain cover do you mean something like a syver?
If so, how on Earth did you manage to get your foot stuck in one of those? from the ones I've seen the holes are way too small :eek:

BobG said:
That's why you should never work on a car alone. Now I was lying in the driveway with my finger stuck in the car frame and weighing my options. I could lie there and imagine how handy it would have been to have a bar of soap or some oil or some other lubricant laying nearby - or I could wait until someone walked by my house and tell them I'd gotten my finger stuck in the car and ask for some help - or I could just suck it up and accept the fact that I was going to rip some skin off pulling my finger out of the car.

I read a story about a guy who was doing something to some pipes in his basement and got his arm wedged between some pipes which had hot water running through periodically, he was the only person living at the house and he couldn't get any assistance.. I think he ended up cutting his burned arm off iirc.
I guess keeping a tub of lube on hand at all times could have prevented that.
 
genericusrnme said:
I read a story about a guy who was doing something to some pipes in his basement and got his arm wedged between some pipes which had hot water running through periodically, he was the only person living at the house and he couldn't get any assistance.. I think he ended up cutting his burned arm off iirc.
I guess keeping a tub of lube on hand at all times could have prevented that.

I read a story about a guy that was trying to haul away a dumpster full of junk from an isolated cabin by himself - and then something went wrong and the dumpster pinned his foot under the dumpster. Being alone and out of cell phone range of civilization, he gave up trying to free himself after about 30 minutes and cut his toes off.

Then he drove all the way to the nearest town to get medical attention - which seems like kind of a dumb thing to do. You'd think that once he was within cell phone range again, he would have stopped and called a tow truck.
 
BobG said:
That's why you should never work on a car alone.

Especailly if you are like one of my work colleagues. He was using a strobe light to sort out his car ignition timing. After he was done he noticed there was a patch of dirt on the timing pulley, so he got a rag and went to clean it off. Unfortunately he forgot that the engine was still running and strobe light was still on :

The good news was he failed to amputate any digits, but he needed some surgery to put all the internal bits and pieces of his hand back where they belonged.
 

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