Boy, 10, freed from Zachary culvert

• Advocate staff report
• Published: Oct 26, 2009 - Page: 3B

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ZACHARY — Firefighters punched a hole in the top of a culvert late Sunday afternoon to free a 10-year-old boy who was stuck inside, the city fire chief said.

The boy, whose name was not immediately available, had his legs folded back underneath him in the 18-inch culvert at 3652 Cherry St.,  Zachary Fire Chief Boyce Smith said.

Firefighters dug away the dirt on top of the culvert, he said.

Once the culvert was cleared, Smith said, firefighters used a Halligan tool, a type of pry bar, to start a hole and then a maul to break open the concrete culvert further in a spot behind the boy.

Firefighters maneuvered the boys’ legs into a less-awkward position and pulled him out of the hole, Smith said.

Smith said he could not determine why the boy went into the culvert. He said the boy was not injured but was nervous and scared.

“Just wet and cold. That’s about it,” he said.

Smith said the culvert had a little water in it but the boy could keep himself out of the water. He said that afterward, he talked to other children on the scene about not playing in the culvert.