PENSACOLA, Fla. (CNN) — A near tragedy in Pensacola after a homeless man, who took shelter in a dumpster was accidentally dumped in a trash compactor and nearly compressed to death.
When the garbage truck did its routine stops Wednesday morning, a man who was sleeping inside an apartment complex dumpster was put into the compactor along with bags of garbage.
Fire Battalion Chief Kurt Isakson said someone from an apartment building nearby alerted police after hearing screams coming from inside the truck.
“I heard the guy yelling from across the street. I don’t know if he needs medical attention or not. That’s why I’m calling,” said the woman.
“The dispatch center contacted that trash company to let the driver know that they had picked up somebody that was in a trash truck. Otherwise, they would not have known,” said Isakson.
The driver of that garbage truck stopped at a nearby gas station.
“So he stopped right there [at the gas station] and then once he stopped and got out, he could then hear and confirm that somebody was inside with the trash,” said Isakson.
The man was injured when the compactor was activated and it started compressing all contents inside. He was taken to the hospital to be treated and his condition remains unknown.
Authorities have not released the man’s name.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.