A man was trapped inside a steel-reinforced concrete jewellery vault in New York City overnight after firefighters had to abandon an attempt to rescue him for safety reasons. Fortunately, the vault was on a timer and opened on its own on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The fire department was called to the midtown Manhattan building on Tuesday evening after the man became trapped while trying to access his safe deposit box, Assistant Fire Chief John Sarrocco said. The building at 580 Fifth Avenue is known as the World Diamond Tower and houses several jewellery businesses. Sarrocco did not explain how the man became trapped.
Fire and police officers were in communication with the man inside the vault and could watch him on a security camera.
Sarrocco said the fire department’s rescue units have tools that would be able to break through the vault’s 76-centimetre steel-reinforced concrete walls.