SW Illinois man rescued from cistern filled with icy waters

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) - Southwestern Illinois fire officials have rescued a man who fell into a cistern and was stuck neck-deep in its icy waters for nearly a half-hour.

French Village fire officials say the man was rescued Monday after he fell into the underground water tank behind a vacant home in St. Clair County.

Fire Chief Al LaPointe tells the Belleville News-Democrat the man was standing on a concrete slab when it collapsed, sending him plunging into the near-freezing waters.

KMOV-TV reports neighbors tried to pull the man from the tank before calling 911.

A fire crew put a 24-foot ladder into the cistern and the man climbed out on his own.

Officials say the man was treated for hypothermia at the scene, thanked his rescuers and left the scene in his vehicle.