Man drowns trying to retrieve cell phone

[gypcasino]

Man drowns trying to retrieve cell phone

 

A 41-year-old Sheboygan man drowned in about a foot of water today after becoming trapped in a sewer while attempting to retrieve his cell phone.

 

"It was just an everyday event that ended in tragedy," Lt. James Veeser of the Sheboygan Police Department said.

 

According to Veeser, the incident was reported about 12:35 p.m. near the man's home in the 3200 block of N. 12th St. in Sheboygan.

 

When police arrived a bystander was attempting to pull the man from a vertical storm drain. The man weighed more than 300 pounds and was trapped head-first.

 

Witnesses told police that the man was talking on his cell phone and a short time later was seen in the sewer.

 

"He apparently dropped (the phone) into the sewer," Veeser said. "It then appeared he attempted to get the phone out with a rake."

 

The man then apparently lifted the sewer grate and became trapped after losing his balance and falling in.

 

There was approximately a foot of water in the sewer at the time, and when police and firefighters pulled the man out he was not breathing and did not have a pulse.

 

Rescue personnel attempted to resuscitate the man, who was taken to Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center and pronounced dead, Veeser said.

 

The man's phone was found at the bottom of the sewer, he said.

 

Sheboygan County Coroner David Leffin ruled the death an accidental drowning.

 

The victim's identity was not released tonight.

 

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[sbrylski]

I wonder who he was trying to call.

[BraunsBoyfriend]

What a lame way to die.

[JoeHova]

I saw that too, and the only thing I'll say about it is that if my cell phone falls into a sewer, that thing is gone.

[gypcasino]

What a helpless feeling that must have been for the bystander, trying futilely to hoist that much weight up out of the sewer.

[craigharmann]

And there he is folks, your Darwin award winner for 2007! There are seriously some dumb people up here in Sheboygan. I don't know if it's the beer, brats or cheese or a combo of all 3, but there's a bunch of winners up here! Unbelievable!

[JimH5]

Enough with the piling on. It was a freakish accident that lead to a man's death, and a terrible loss for his family and friends.

 

May we all be treated with a little more dignity.

[et bbal]

I saw that too, and the only thing I'll say about it is that if my cell phone falls into a sewer, that thing is gone.

 

A storm sewer, while gross, is not as gross as all that. When we were kids balls hit down the left field line would get in the road and eventually make it to the sewer. We would find the smallest guy and hold him by his feet and lower him down to get the ball back. It would be like rooting around in a pail of leaves, water, candt wrappers, etc. Note nice, but there shouldn't be any human waste involved.

[BraunsBoyfriend]

JimH5, relax. Your oversensitivity has no place in an Internet forum.

[splitterpfj]

I don't see anything good coming from continuing this discussion. Interesting story, but that's enough.