Photo: Upland Police Department
A patient at San Antonio Regional Hospital in Upland, California, found himself in a peculiar predicament after climbing into the ceiling of an emergency room and getting stuck.
The patient, who remains unidentified and is believed to have been under the influence of drugs, was seen entering a restroom on surveillance footage and never coming out. He had removed ceiling tiles and hoisted himself into the crawl space above the emergency room. According to The Daily Mail, the man was discovered lying on his back on top of a large HVAC unit and wedged under a steel beam in complete darkness.
The rescue operation was not straightforward due to the confined space filled with wires, plumbing, and HVAC lines. Officers had to use a pole camera to locate the man. Once found, an officer grabbed the man's feet, which were sticking out of the ceiling, and slowly guided him down to the floor. The Sacramento Bee reported that the rescue operation took nearly an hour.
The incident caused more than $5,000 worth of damages to the ceiling, electrical, and HVAC system. The patient was subsequently arrested on charges of felony vandalism. Despite the unusual incident, hospital staff managed to prevent any interruptions to emergency room services.
The Upland Police Department shared a video of the rescue on X, which you can watch below.