San Francisco man treated for ‘crush syndrome’ after passerby hears screaming from inside a garbage truck

A passerby alerted a garbage truck driver after hearing yelling from inside the vehicle early Wednesday morning, Sept. 2, 2026, in San Francisco, helping prompt a two-hour rescue of a man buried beneath compacted trash. Firefighters later freed the man and took him to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in serious condition, according to the San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) and local reporting.

The incident happened around 4:11 a.m. Sept. 2, on the 100 block of Mason Street near Eddy Street and the Powell Street BART station. The SFFD said a passerby flagged down the driver of a Recology garbage truck and reported hearing yelling from the truck’s garbage compartment.

The driver stopped and investigated after receiving the warning. According to the Los Angeles Times, Recology spokesman Robert Reed said the driver opened an exterior hatch, spoke briefly with the trapped man, and then called 911.

Firefighters faced a difficult extraction.

Once on the scene, responders discovered the man had become buried beneath the truck’s garbage load. Rather than dump the contents all at once, crews removed the trash by hand because officials feared doing so could cause additional injuries.

Because of the potential for crush injuries, paramedics reached the man’s arm through the trash and administered an IV during the rescue. The treatment aimed to protect him against crush syndrome, a potentially life-threatening complication associated with prolonged muscle compression. About 25 firefighters worked at the scene for roughly two hours before rescuers removed him.

The San Francisco Fire Department said it was unclear what the man was doing inside the dumpster when the truck picked it up and emptied it. According to the Los Angeles Times, the department speculated that he might have been scavenging inside.

Fire Department public information officer Samuel Menchaca told the newspaper that he had encountered people trapped in dumpsters during his 10 years with the department. Firefighters can usually rescue them with a ladder, Menchaca said.

Crush syndrome can develop after prolonged compression damages muscle tissue. According to the CDC, the resulting muscle breakdown can release potentially harmful substances into the bloodstream, causing organ dysfunction and metabolic abnormalities.

The man maintained consciousness the entire time.

The man remained conscious and communicative when firefighters removed him from the truck, according to the fire department. A spokesperson for Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital later told the San Francisco Standard that he was listed in serious condition. Authorities had not publicly identified him, and the incident remained under investigation.

One firefighter also suffered a hand laceration during the rescue and required medical treatment, according to the San Francisco Fire Department and local reports. In another unrelated garbage truck story, a garbage truck reportedly crushed and killed a homeless Kentucky woman asleep in an alley. Now her family says they’re suing.