Man spent 8 hours in porta-potty tank retrieving Mountain Dew bottle, company says

(TNND) — New details are shedding light on the bizarre rescue of a man who became trapped inside the holding tank of a portable toilet in Kansas City.

The unusual incident happened July 14 while crews with Patriot Portable Restrooms were collecting units after an event tied to the FIFA World Cup, according to company partner Chip Counterman.

Counterman said one of the company’s drivers checked each portable restroom before loading them, knocking on every door to make sure no one remained inside. One unit was locked, and the occupant was told he had about 10 minutes to finish before crews returned.

When the driver came back, the man still refused to leave.

A Kansas City police officer riding by on a motorcycle was flagged down to help. After the officer asked the man to come out, the response raised even more questions.

“The man replied that he could not reach the door and couldn’t get out of the toilet,” Counterman said.

When responders looked inside the restroom, they initially couldn’t see anyone.

Then, according to Counterman, “all of a sudden a head popped out of the toilet.”

The man had climbed into the waste holding tank beneath the toilet seat.

Kansas City firefighters responded and attempted to talk the man through getting out on his own. During the rescue, the man told responders he had climbed into the tank to retrieve a Mountain Dew bottle he had dropped there the night before. Counterman said the man had been inside the tank for roughly eight hours.

Firefighters ultimately cut apart the portable toilet to free him.

After the man climbed out, firefighters rinsed him off using water from one of their trucks before the incident came to an end.

Counterman thanked the Kansas City Fire Department and Police Department for helping safely resolve what he described as a “horrible situation.”

Authorities have not publicly identified the man or said whether he suffered any injuries.