A rescue 'for the books': New Hampshire woman caught in garbage truck compactor survives

A New Hampshire woman who fell into a trash bin is lucky to be alive after she ended up inside a garbage truck compactor.

The garbage truck driver called 911 on Monday after he saw the woman from a camera inside the compactor. He had picked her up at his previous stop in Manchester in southern New Hampshire, WMUR-TV reported.

Emergency responders were able to see the woman, who was standing upright and yelling, but she was not alert enough to answer questions, the Manchester Fire Department said in a news release.

The woman had been among trash that had run through the compactor four times before she was found and rescued, the department said, adding that it was a technical rescue involving a harness and a Stokes basket, which keeps patients immobilized.

It’s unclear how long the woman was in the garbage bin, but she was “very lucky” that the driver noticed she was trapped, Bob Beaudet, battalion chief, told WMUR-TV.

“In 32 years, I've never seen anything like this my whole career," he told the station. "That was definitely one for the books.” 

The woman was taken to a hospital.

The extent of her injuries was unclear but authorities say she will survive.