Photo gallery: Rescuers free US woman wedged between 2 buildings
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A woman is rescued from being trapped inside a wall of the parking garage at the Gretchen Kafoury Commons in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. Portland firefighters worked for over three and a half hours cutting her free. --PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
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A woman who was trapped inside a wall of the parking garage is taken to an ambulance, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013 in Portland, Oregan. Firefighters cut a hole through concrete and used an air bag and a soapy lubricant to free the woman. -- PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
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Portland firefighter Fred Williams measures the distance between two buildings where two holes were cut to free a woman who fell part of the way down a 20-foot wall and got herself stuck in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Portland firefighters Fred Williams (right) and Gary Fergus (left) check one of two holes that were cut out to free a woman who fell part of the way down the 20-foot wall and got herself stuck between two buildings in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
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Firefighters work to free a woman who fell part of the way down the 20-foot wall and got stuck between two buildings in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. -- PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
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A woman who was trapped inside a wall of the parking garage is taken to an ambulance, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013 in Portland, Oregan. Firefighters cut a hole through concrete and used an air bag and a soapy lubricant to free the woman. -- PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
A woman is rescued from being trapped inside a wall of the parking garage at the Gretchen Kafoury Commons in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. Portland firefighters worked for over three and a half hours cutting her free. --PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
A woman who was trapped inside a wall of the parking garage is taken to an ambulance, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013 in Portland, Oregan. Firefighters cut a hole through concrete and used an air bag and a soapy lubricant to free the woman. -- PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
Portland firefighter Fred Williams measures the distance between two buildings where two holes were cut to free a woman who fell part of the way down a 20-foot wall and got herself stuck in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Portland firefighters Fred Williams (right) and Gary Fergus (left) check one of two holes that were cut out to free a woman who fell part of the way down the 20-foot wall and got herself stuck between two buildings in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
Firefighters work to free a woman who fell part of the way down the 20-foot wall and got stuck between two buildings in Portland, Oregan, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013. -- PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
A woman who was trapped inside a wall of the parking garage is taken to an ambulance, Wednesday, Jan 16, 2013 in Portland, Oregan. Firefighters cut a hole through concrete and used an air bag and a soapy lubricant to free the woman. -- PHOTO: THE OREGONIAN/AP
PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) - United States firefighters cut through concrete and used a soapy lubricant to free a woman who fell and became stuck in a narrow opening between two buildings Wednesday.
The woman spent about four hours in the tiny space. Broadcast footage of the rescue effort showed her emerging, clenching her fists and shouting, "Oh, my God!" Firefighters said they hadn't gotten a clear explanation of how the woman fell. Lieutenant Rich Chatman of the Portland fire department in Oregon said she had been seen smoking or walking on the roof of a two-story building.
The woman was wedged about 1.2m above the ground before rescuers installed braces to support her. Firefighters turned on a portable heater to keep her warm in near-freezing temperatures and dropped an air bag into the opening to slightly spread the walls.
"She was in good spirits," Lt Chatman said. "We just tried to reassure her... we weren't going home without her." After rescuers cut a window-size opening in the concrete wall, Lt Chatman climbed in to help apply the soapy substance. The woman wiggled toward the hole as the rescue team pulled on her.
