Updated at 5:13 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A collapse of the upper level of a Rochester auto repair shop today drew firefighters who had to move about 1,000 pounds of structural debris and auto parts to rescue a 34-year-old man who was trapped and pinned against a wall.
West Thurston Regional Fire Authority Chief Robert Scott said two employees were working on the upper level which was used for storage, above the first floor office. When the ceiling fell, it sent the pair to the ground level, along with about a ton of material and various items, according to Scott.
“Engines, transmissions, engine blocks, there was a lot of weight up there,” Scott said.
Firefighters were called just before 3 p.m. to the building at the 19300 block of Elderberry Street Southwest.
A 40-year-old man was able to get himself out, according to the chief, but crews had to break through an exterior wall to get at the 34-year-old.
“The patient was conscious and talking to the responders during the entire operation which lasted just over 20 minutes,” Scott said.
The 34-year-old, whose name was not available, had leg injuries that Scott said he wasn’t sure were if they were fractures or crush injuries.
The other man, whose name was not available either, was ambulatory, but also had an injury to his leg as well as possibly his lower back, according to Scott.
They were both transported to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
Firefighters were assisted by Riverside Fire Authority from Centralia, the McLane/Black Lake Fire Department and members of the Thurston County Special Operations Rescue Team.
[1]Some of the additional materials that remain after patient extricated. / Courtesy photo by Robert Scott