(D.C. Fire and EMS.)

A Washington man lunging for his dropped cellphone found himself stuck in a unique place early Sunday morning: his apartment building’s trash chute.

The man, who was able to use his phone to call police from within the chute around 3 a.m., stood atop a pile of trash as firefighters discussed the best way to remove him, said Vito Maggiolo, a D.C. fire department spokesman.



D.C. firefighters feed fresh air to the man as they evaluated a safe means of removal. ( DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services )

Firefighters used a hose to pump fresh air into the chute in an apartment building in the 700 block of Seventh Street, near Verizon Center, video from the department shows.

After about an hour, firefighters used a harness to pull the man out. The man, whose identity was not released, had no injuries from the incident.