Sacramento County- the Sacramento Fire Department responded this afternoon for a report of a man trapped in a van that was partially submerged in a canal. Firefighters arrived at the remote location in a little over 11 minutes.

A van had been involved in an accident with a semi truck and trailer and was nose down in the canal. The male driver was trapped in the driver’s seat and submerged in water up to his waist. Firefighters had a very difficult time removing him due to the angle of the van.

Rescue Company #20 was requested to assist with the Rescue. Firefighters had to secure the van to their Fire Truck to prevent it from slipping further under water. They then had to gain access to the driver through the back of the van and they had to remove a lot of tools and equipment inside the van to gain access. Rescuers had to cut open the drivers side door and cut and peel back the dashboard to free the driver who was pinned.

It took a little over one hour to extricate the driver. He was transported to a local hospital by Sacramento Firefighters. His injuries do not appear to be life threatening.