Homeless Man Rescued After Hours Trapped in Cebu City Sewer

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A homeless man, aged 31, was successfully rescued after spending hours trapped in a sewer located in downtown Cebu City on Sunday, August 3.

Responders from the Special Rescue Squad of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), together with volunteers from Barangay Senior Sto. Niño and local police, responded promptly after receiving reports of a trapped individual beneath P. Lopez Street in Barangay Sto. Niño.

Alphe Villacruz Pandac, a fire auxiliary from the Barangay Senior Sto. Niño Fire Brigade, shared that the man had entered an uncovered manhole near the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) at approximately 7:30 a.m. in search of coins to purchase food. Having no family and driven by hunger, he ventured underground but later became disoriented and trapped.

"He was hungry and homeless, without any family support. He entered the sewer hoping to find coins. After walking for some time underground, he got lost and realized around 2:00 p.m. that he could not get out," Pandac said in an interview.

Rescue personnel managed to lift the man out roughly 30 minutes after being alerted by removing the manhole cover near Metrobank on P. Lopez Street—the same area where he was found.

Aderson A. Comar, CDRRMO Department Head II, confirmed the man emerged from the sewer in stable condition. "He came out in normal condition," Comar stated.

After the extraction, the man, visibly dirty and fatigued, was taken to the barangay hall where he was cleaned and provided with fresh clothes.

Officials issued a warning against repeating such acts, advising that doing so could lead to police detention for causing public disturbance. Pandac clarified, "We filed a blotter and gave him a warning that if he repeats this behavior, he could be arrested because it may cause public disturbance."

Comar also emphasized there was no immediate danger to the man during the ordeal and that he was simply searching for money. "There was no danger. Our personnel only advised him to come out since he was wandering underground looking for some money," he added.

Following the incident, the man returned to his usual location in the Carbon area. Authorities urge the public to avoid entering drainage or sewer systems due to significant safety hazards and potential legal repercussions.

Photo credit: Special Rescue Squad Facebook