FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A man who tried to get into his mother-in-law's house after she forgot her keys got stuck Tuesday (Nov. 12) and was rescued by firefighters.
Mark Vaughn, 35, was wedged in the chimney for about an hour before rescuers were able to pull him feet first from a hole knocked in the side.
``I slid all the way down, but the angle wasn't right,'' a soot-covered Vaughn said in a story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's online edition Tuesday. ``I couldn't move. I was trying to work it out. But I worked myself into getting stuck.''
Vaughn's mother-in-law, who had wanted to call a locksmith and had warned him not to attempt a chimney entry, dialed 911.
After firefighters gingerly helped Vaughn out of the fireplace and into the yard, Vaughn and his obviously embarrassed mother-in-law got into brief yelling match, during which Vaughn was heard yelling, ``Just be cool about it!''
Vaughn refused medical treatment and spent the next several minutes shaking firefighters' hands.
``Firemen rock!'' Vaughn said, adding that he wasn't even upset that they had nicked his finger a bit with a drill. ``They were here to save my life.''
He acknowledged he learned a lesson or two from his adventure.
``Listen to your mother-in-law. Don't climb down chimneys. And I probably need to lose weight.''
