Watch OK Crews Free Burglar from Chimney

April 23, 2019

The suspected burglar was trapped in the chimney of a Tulsa business for nearly 10 hours, and firefighters were called when the man was heard moaning.

By Kaitlyn Alanis

Source The Wichita Eagle

Tulsa, OK, firefighters pulled a burglary suspect from a business chimney, where he was trapped for nearly 10 hours Monday.

From just after midnight to about 9:45 a.m. Monday, a man was stuck in a business’ chimney, KOKI reported.

“ ... (S)o the man spent a significant amount of time in the chimney,” Tulsa Fire Department spokesperson Andy Little said, according to KJRH.

Firefighters were called to check on the chimney at about 9 a.m. Monday when the business owner of Durango Auto Center got to work and heard the man moaning inside, KOTV reported.

The owner also “noticed something suspicious on a surveillance camera,” KFOR reported.

That video showed the man cutting air conditioning unit wires and trying to shimmy down the chimney, KOKI reported.

That’s when the man — since identified as 23-year-old Keenan Holmes — became trapped, KOTV reported.

To rescue the suspected burglar from the chimney, the responding fire crews used a pulley system, as seen in a video posted to Facebook by the Tulsa Fire Department.

“The crews lowered a pulley system down and put a ladder belt around him,” Little said, according to KOTV. “They were about to start dismantling the chimney because they weren’t having luck moving him up.

Fortunately, Holmes “was cooperative and shifted his body to where he could get back up,” Little continued, according to the TV station.

The video shows the firefighters at the end of the rescue mission, pulling Holmes out of the chimney.

“Great job by TFD crews and the Rescue Task Force for removing the man safely,” the post says.

Once out of the chimney, the man was handcuffed to a gurney and taken to a hospital, KOKI reported.

Booking reports with the Tulsa County Jail show that Holmes was arrested at 1:01 p.m. Monday. He was booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree burglary after former conviction of a felony, possession of burglary tools after former conviction of a felony, malicious injury to property and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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