Buffalo Grove firefighters rescue worker from underground vault

Buffalo Grove firefighters Wednesday afternoon rescued a 54-year-old Northwest Water Commission employee who fell nearly 10 feet in an underground vault and lost consciousness.

The man and another worker were checking on water pipes and in the process of exiting the concrete hole, a 10-foot-square located at LaSalle Lane and Buffalo Grove Road, when he slipped from a ladder at about noon, fell and hit his head, Buffalo Grove Fire Chief Terry Vavra said.

As a precaution in case of head and back injuries, crews secured the man to a board and used a large plastic and steel device known as a Stokes basket to bring him back to the surface, Vavra said.

The man regained consciousness and was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. His injuries are not life-threatening, Vavra said.

The entire rescue took about 20 minutes, he added.

Formed in 1957, the Northwest Water Commission monitors water flow and provides Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Palatine and Wheeling with potable water.