Man Rescued From Underground WSSC Vault

UPDATE - 4:20 p.m. - Prince George's County Fire Department personnel have freed a man who was unable to get out of a subterranean vault at the WSSC treatment plant in Upper Marlboro after he injured his back. The victim has been transported to the hospital where he is being treated for non-life threatening injuries. 

According to Mark Brady, public information officer for the Prince George's County Fire Department, the victim was removed from the vault at around 4 p.m. Brady said the man fell a small distance while in the vault, which is located 30 feet underground. 

Original Story - 

Rescue crews from the Prince George's County Fire Department are currently trying to rescue a man trapped 30 feet underground at the WSSC treatment plant at 6600 Crain Highway in Upper Marlboro.

According to Mark Brady, public information officer with the Prince George's County Fire Department, a worker at the treatment plant slipped while performing maintenance in an underground area of the facility and injured his back. The victim is not suffering from any life threatening injuries, but is unable to get back to the surface under his own power. 

"We will deploy our technical rescue team to descend into the vault, package the man up to protect him from further injury, and raise him up using a series of ropes and pulleys," said Brady.

Rescuers first responded to the scene shortly before 3 p.m. today. Brady said that the operation to lift the man to the surface could take up to an hour and a half. 

Traffic in the area is unaffected by the incident, according to Brady.

This is a developing story, stay tuned for more updates as new information is learned.