Man survives six story fall into trash compactor

A man who fell six stories into a trash compactor that activated when he hit survived the ordeal, Moline police said.

The incident occurred at about 5 a.m. Saturday at the Hillside Heights Apartments, 825 17th St., according to a news release issued Tuesday by Moline Police Lt. Jerome Patrick.

Police were called to the building by a resident who could hear a male voice yelling for help near the elevator shaft, Patrick said.

Building maintenance responded, released the trash compactor and pulled the man out of the bin, he said.

Patrick said that Alfonzo Gomez, 26, explained that he was at a party on the sixth floor when he went to throw some trash out. As he threw the bag into the chute, his hat fell off his head and went into the chute.

Gomez reached into the chute to retrieve his hat, but could not see or feel his hat. He climbed into the chute feet first believing he could reach his hat. But he slipped and fell six floors to the compactor.

When he hit the bottom, the compactor activated and compressed two pressure plates against Gomez, Patrick said. The plates held the man until the compactor was turned off.

Gomez told police he was in the compactor for 30-45 minutes yelling for help. He had no feeling in the lower part of his legs for several minutes and was advised to seek medical attention.

Patrick added that it was not known if Gomez retrieved his hat.

From here.

A HAT? You went down a garbage chute for a HAT?