On Tuesday, Australian emergency personnel announced that they had successfully freed a man trapped in a Brisbane storm drain for 36 hours, ostensibly in an attempt to recover a dropped cell phone. 

 The 30-year-old man is said to have spent the weekend in the filthy underworld of the tropical city. 

On Sunday, he was made to drink drain water after turning down a bystander's first offer of assistance while searching for a way out. 

At approximately 11 a.m. on Monday, a resident heard heavy breathing coming from the drain, which eventually led to emergency services being called to the scene.

When firefighters arrived, they could lift the drain's lid and save the man, according to Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, which was reported to AFP. 


He was taken to Mater Hospital with complaints of cuts and exposure to the cold. 

According to emergency services, his condition is stable.  

Brisbane has been plagued by rainy weather for days, and while the man was stuck inside, the rain fell down the drain.

While out for a run, James Lingwood, a passerby, told the local media that he had already seen the trapped man on Sunday and had heard yells coming from the drain.

"I said 'are you OK can I help you', he said 'no bro I'm all good' but he's knee deep in water and I'm thinking what do I do," Lingwood stated to the Courier Mail. 

I left him alone since he appeared all right and indicated he could go from where he entered. 


"When I first saw him, I wanted to help, but he wasn't interested in my assistance. Lingwood continued, "I don't think he felt in great danger then." 

"You don't often see somebody down the drain, especially when there's rats and snakes and mosquitoes and all sorts of things going on," he stated. 

If the man got his phone back, it wasn't immediately apparent.