San Jose fire crews rescue man trapped in ventilation system

After the scorching weekend, Raul Bendaras started work Monday morning on the air conditioning system at a Santa Clara County building on North First Street. But the county refrigeration mechanic fell 20 feet down a chute and spent more than two hours trapped, first calling out for help and then falling in and out of consciousness as San Jose firefighters delicately cut the steel panels so they could free him. “This is what we’re trained to do,” said Fire Capt. B.J. Yendrey, who coordinated the rescue. “Football players are trained to play football. We’re trained to do this.”

Bendaras’ condition wasn’t immediately known after he was wheeled out of the building at 12:57 p.m.
Jeff Draper, manager of building operations for the county, said it appears Bendaras was doing some work Monday morning on the air conditioning system at the county building on First Street at Charcot Avenue. As he worked inside the air conditioning duct, he apparently tried to position himself in a better angle, Draper said. But he didn’t notice the chute behind him and he fell. Bendaras tumbled 20 feet down the chute and was trapped. Someone heard him yelling for help at 10:37 a.m., according to fire Capt. Barry Stallard. During the rescue, Bendaras complained of back pain and he had a large gash on his right arm, Stallard said. He lapsed in and out of consciousness during the rescue, and was given an IV drip and morphine on his way to thehospital.
County workers were evacuated during the rescue as the power was shut off throughout the entire building.
Draper said Bendaras is in his early 50s and has worked for the county for about a dozen years. He described him as a “happy, relaxed, easy-going guy who is very dedicated to the job.” A total of 40 firefighters and paramedics worked calmly to pull Bendaras out, simultaneously devising Plan A and Plan B. Crews were poised on the roof ready to hoist Bendaras up and out, but ultimately, they used rescue saws and steel snips to cut open the chute and extract him from inside the building.

Story by: Mercury News