Man trapped in garbage truck for three hours
A man in the United States has had a lucky escape after he was accidentally thrown into the back of a garbage truck, headed for a landfill in Orange County.
Authorities say the man had been looking for his wallet inside a garbage skip when a truck came and picked it up, depositing its contents into the back of the vehicle.
The man told police he arranged pieces of timber around his body to create a 'trash coffin' so that he would not be crushed or suffocate.
Lt. Martin Torres of the Yolo County Sheriff's Office said the man was lucky to be alive.
"The man said he was stuck in the truck for about an hour, but estimates show it was more like 3 or 3 1/2 hours," he said.
"He was lucky the truck was only half full.
"Had it been full, he would have certainly been crushed and suffocated to death."
The man was eventually rescued when the truck arrived at the tip and the driver saw him amoungst the rubbish pile.
Miraculously, he survived the ordeal unharmed.
