On Friday, July 7, 2023, just after 9:00 a.m., two employees of Ace Pipe Cleaning, a Kansas City-based sewer and water maintenance company, were working in a manhole near 19th & Howard Streets in downtown Omaha when heavy rain hit the area. The men, ages 50 and 41, were in the storm sewer system when a surge of water swept through.
The 50-year-old worker was tethered to a metal wire haul system. Omaha Fire Department (OFD) personnel were dispatched for a confined space rescue and used the haul system to crank him to the surface within minutes. He received treatment at the scene but refused hospital transport.
The 41-year-old worker, who was not attached to any safety line, was swept away into the sewer network. OFD crews, with assistance from Ace Pipe Cleaning and Omaha Public Works, began an urgent search using sewer system maps, manhole inspections, and camera equipment. Firefighters worked block by block, “popping” manholes and visually checking each section.
The stormwater pipes, which start at 36 inches in diameter near the incident site, gradually widen to about 90 inches closer to the Missouri River. Rescuers believed this gave the man a chance to stay above water as he was carried downstream.
At one point, crews learned he had been briefly caught near 7th & Jones Streets, where a wall diverts water toward the river, but he was swept away again. Rescue teams concentrated efforts in that area, knowing he would have to clear the wall to continue toward the river.
At approximately 10:15–10:30 a.m., the man was located about 1.2 miles from where he entered the sewer, trapped behind a metal grate covering a culvert near the Jones Street pumping station, close to the Missouri River. He had managed to pull himself from the water but could not get past the grate.
OFD crews used rotary saws to cut the grate and free him. He was conscious and alert but shaken, and was transported to Nebraska Medical Center in serious to critical condition. Fire officials noted that his clothes may have snagged on something in the pipes and that there was a possibility he could have been carried directly into the river had he not been stopped.
Rescue operations involved multiple agencies, including Omaha Fire and Police Departments, sewer maintenance workers, and the contractor’s own crew. The fire department also staged a boat at the Missouri River as a precaution.
Assistant Fire Marshal Joseph Caniglia credited the successful outcome to “seamless collaboration” between OFD, OPD, Public Works, and the contractor. Battalion Chief Jason Bradley emphasized that knowledge of the sewer system’s layout was critical to the search strategy.
Mayor Jean Stothert issued a statement commending the rescue effort, citing the “expertise and urgency” of all involved and calling it an example of lifesaving teamwork built on training and coordination.
Sources:
https://www.ketv.com/article/police-block-off-street-in-downtown-omaha-for-investigation/44474434
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/07/nebraska-firefighters-rescue-sewer-manhole
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