A PVC pipe kept the worker from falling deeper as fire crews prepared a confined-space rescue outside a Perrysburg Township IHOP.
PERRYSBURG TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A worker trapped for at least an hour in a 3,000-gallon underground grease tank survived after holding onto a pipe that kept him from falling farther, a Perrysburg Township fire official said.
The worker was cleaning the tank Monday at 10151 Fremont Pike when he fell inside, Perrysburg Township Deputy Fire Chief Jim Rodriguez said Tuesday. The tank collects grease from fryers at a nearby IHOP and is emptied periodically. Officials have not said why the worker fell.
The worker was about 8 feet below ground and could not climb out because a PVC pipe blocked his path, Rodriguez said. He held onto the pipe while calling for help. Rodriguez said the worker could have fallen much deeper into the tank without it, creating a more dangerous situation.
“He was very, very lucky,” Rodriguez said.
People entering the IHOP heard someone yelling and alerted authorities. Perrysburg Township Fire crews responded and requested help from Toledo Fire and Rescue’s confined-space team, which is trained and equipped to work in enclosed areas with limited ways in or out.
The two departments began pumping waste from the tank so the worker could move toward another section and reach a safer exit point. Toledo firefighters then secured him in a harness and pulled him out.
The worker was covered in grease when he emerged and may have swallowed some of the material, Rodriguez said. Firefighters washed him with hoses and water at the scene to remove the grease before further medical evaluation.
Rodriguez said the worker was exhausted after the rescue. He did not have information Tuesday about the worker’s current medical condition, and authorities had not released the worker’s name.
Officials also had not said who employed the worker, what safety equipment he was using or whether any agency would investigate the circumstances of the fall. No injuries to firefighters were reported in the available accounts.
Author note: Last updated July 16, 2026.