CWA 1109

New York Post: Little boy saved after 15-foot manhole plunge

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

New York Two Verizon workers rescued a 10-year-old boy who fell into a Brooklyn manhole Tuesday morning injuring his leg, cops and witnesses said.

The boy fell about 15 feet into the uncovered manhole on 13th Avenue near 49th Street in Boro Park around 8:50 a.m., authorities and witnesses said.

Mike Kroski,39, and Tom Prestia,46, of Verizon’s CWA-1109 union were driving along 13th Avenue when they noticed a large crowd of people gathered around a manhole.

“We pulled over. We asked the officer how we could help out and first suggested throwing a rope down to the kid. The cop didn’t think he would be able to climb up the rope so we went and got our collapsible ladder and put it down there and the kid climbed right up,” Kroski, the father of two said.

The sewer manhole cover was broken and inside the hole, witnesses said.

“He looked fine, it was at least a 15 foot drop. He had some bruises on his leg but that’s about it, very lucky. I was at the right place at the right time,” Kroski added. Kroski’s partner who helped out said, “Anytime you do something like this it feels good.”

The youngster was being treated at an area hospital for the minor leg injury. He suffered bruises to his leg, cops said. The DEP and DOT had no immediate details available. - By Erin Calabrese and Natasha Velez

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