Ohio teen travels quarter of a mile through sewer
ASSOCIATED PRESS September 7, 2012 7:48PM
In this photo provided by Doug Turner of the Parma, Ohio fire department, firefighters rescue 14-year-old Jeffrey LaPorta from a manhole Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, in Parma. Authorities say LaPorta fell of his bike into flood waters and traveled more than a quarter of a mile through multiple sewer pipes, at times completely submerged in water, before he found enough breathing room to await rescue. (AP Photo/Parma Fire Department, Doug Turner)
Updated: September 7, 2012 7:57PM
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A 14-year-old boy says he’s thankful to be alive after an overflowing creek in a Cleveland suburb forced him to travel a quarter of a mile through multiple sewer pipes.
Jeffrey LaPorta of Parma was completely submerged in water at times and gasping for air before he found enough breathing room to await rescue.
The teen said in an interview on Friday that the experience was like a 20 mph waterslide.
Jeffrey was riding his bike Tuesday through puddles created by the creek. He then fell into the rising water and was sucked into a drain pipe.
Firefighters opened at least six manhole covers downstream before they found him. He was pulled to safety and taken to a hospital, where he received six stitches on his elbow and was released.
