The boy held onto a rope for about 25 minutes while standing knee-deep in sewage after falling through a foot-wide vent pipe opening at Hickman Sanitation Company in West Chester

By Bill Rettew
Daily Local News

WEST GOSHEN, Pa. — First responders saved a 3-year-old boy who fell into a septic tank in the 300 block of Snyder Ave., at the Hickman Sanitation Company, on Tuesday, at about 5:15 p.m.

The boy held onto a rope or pole for about 25 minutes while standing in sewage up to his knees. He fell through a foot-wide opening in the septic tank vent pipe.

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His older brother saw him fall and alerted their mother, who called 911.

West Chester Fire Department Public Information Officer Dave March was at the scene.

“Because of the coordinated response of all the agencies, the child was quickly rescued,” March said. “Everybody worked well together to save the child.”

The boy was scared and crying after the rescue and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation due to the severity of the incident.

Responding were the West Chester Fire Department, Good Fellowship Ambulance, the Chester County Rescue Task Force, West Goshen Township Police and East Goshen Township .

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