First Responders Praise Teamwork After Boy Rescued From PA Pipe

“It was a coordinated effort,” said Lt. Michael Cotter of the West Goshen Police Department.

A three-year-old boy was rescued Tuesday evening after falling into a septic access pipe outside a sanitation business in West Goshen Township, Pennsylvania. The incident occurred around 5:20 p.m. while the child was playing in a yard on the business’s property.

Details of the Accident

Dave March, the public information officer for the West Chester Fire Department, stated that the child fell into the pipe while playing outside. The boy’s brother witnessed the fall and alerted their mother, who then called 911.

The access pipe to the septic tank measured between 12 and 14 inches wide. Emergency responders found the boy approximately four to five feet deep, partially stuck in sewage and clinging to a rope until crews could reach him.

First Responder Reactions

Lt. Cotter praised the efficiency of the rescue, noting that “everyone knew what job they had to do” and worked quickly to extract the child. He attributed the success of the operation to the fact that police and fire crews specifically train for these types of situations.

March reported that although the boy was scared and crying, he remained alert and did not appear to have any major injuries, or any injuries at all, when he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Authorities characterized the event as an accident.

The Rescue Process

Lt. Cotter acknowledged the emotional toll such calls take on emergency personnel, stating, “Any incident involving a child is difficult for first responders, but you go into a mode when you get there.”

“From what I could see when I got here, everyone that was here working did a phenomenal job,” Cotter said.