Woman rescued after falling into manhole at site of former San Bernardino mall
San Bernardino County Fire Department crews rescued a woman who fell 15 to 20 feet into a manhole at the former site of the Carousel Mall on Wednesday morning.
Firefighters were dispatched to the area around 11 a.m. after a passerby reported hearing screams for help from the manhole.
Upon arrival, they discovered an adult woman trapped at the bottom of the hole who said she fell in the night before.
Fire crews rescue a woman who fell 15 to 20 feet into a manhole at the abandoned Carousel Mall site on Nov. 20, 2024. (San Bernardino County Fire Department) Fire crews rescue a woman who fell 15 to 20 feet into a manhole at the abandoned Carousel Mall site on Nov. 20, 2024. (San Bernardino County Fire Department) Fire crews rescue a woman who fell 15 to 20 feet into a manhole at the abandoned Carousel Mall site on Nov. 20, 2024. (San Bernardino County Fire Department) Fire crews rescue a woman who fell 15 to 20 feet into a manhole at the abandoned Carousel Mall site on Nov. 20, 2024. (San Bernardino County Fire Department)
A technical rescue team of 20 personnel responded, successfully lifting the woman out of the manhole after an hour and a half. She was transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries, including possible lower extremity injuries, officials said.
The once-bustling Carousel Mall closed in 2017 and was demolished last year after it became a magnet for illegal crimes, including multiple fires, fatal shootings and even a deadly electrocution.
The area remains fenced off to the public and it’s currently unclear how the woman got into the site. Officials could not confirm if the woman was homeless.
Crews remained at the scene to secure the manhole and no additional details have been released at this time.
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