After taking shelter in a trash bin, a Wichita Falls man was picked up by a garbage truck, compacted and dumped into the city's trash pit.

Witnesses saw the man tumble out of the trash truck into the pit and called for help, according to the Wichita Falls Times Record News.

The man, who was conscious when rescuers got to him, had to be reached by a basket that was lowered into the pit with a large machine, said Mike Davis, Wichita Falls Fire Department Battalion chief.

Had workers not seen the man fall into the pit, he could have been put into another compactor and hauled off to a landfill, according to the Associated Press.

Authorities have not identified the man, but they said he appeared to be about 60 years old. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

"I've been with the department 33 years, and this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this," said Davis.