In a dramatic rescue, San Diego firefighters saved a man whose arm was trapped inside a tortilla-making machine at Sawaya Brothers Market in Logan Heights. The incident unfolded around 10am on Friday at the market located at 425 South 30th Street.
According to the San Diego Fire Department, the man's arm was caught in the machine all the way up to his shoulder as he was cleaning the machine, leaving him in severe pain. When first responders arrived, they found the man in a precarious position, his entire arm immobilized by the machinery.
Battalion Chief Joshua Latinsky described the tense scene as crews carefully disassembled the machine in about 45 minutes in order to relieve the man’s weight and bring him to safety. Despite their efforts, a significant portion of the machine remained attached to the man as he was transported to UCSD Hospital.
Latinsky reported that while the man was in considerable pain, his vital signs remained stable. Authorities contacted CAL OSHA, which was expected to investigate the incident later that day. Following the incident, the owners of the supermarket closed the market for the rest of the day.
The man was transported to the trauma department at UCSD Hospital in Hillcrest, where doctors carefully removed the remaining parts of the tortilla machine still attached to his arm. Remarkably, despite the injuries, he was able to retain full use of his arm and hand.
The swift actions of the firefighters undoubtedly prevented a more tragic outcome, turning a potentially dire situation into a successful rescue.