Video: Kansas City firefighters free man trapped inside porta-potty for 8 hours trying to retrieve a Mountain Dew bottle

A bizarre and probably the stinkiest rescue in Kansas City has gone viral after firefighters had to cut open a portable toilet to free a man who became trapped inside its waste holding tank. This gets more off the wall as the man was trapped there for 8 hours trying to retrieve a dropped Mountain Dew bottle.

The incident occurred on July 14 as crews with Patriot Portable Restrooms were collecting portable toilets following an event connected to the FIFA World Cup, according to company partner Chip Counterman.



Counterman explained in a social media video that one of the company's drivers checked every portable restroom before loading them, knocking on each door to ensure no one was still inside. One unit was locked, and the man inside was told he had about 10 minutes to finish before crews returned.

When the driver came back, the man still refused to come out. A Kansas City police officer passing by on a motorcycle was flagged down to assist. When the officer instructed the man to exit the portable toilet, the response surprised everyone.

"The man replied that he could not reach the door and couldn't get out of the toilet," Counterman said. Responders looked inside the portable restroom but initially could not see anyone. Then, according to Counterman, “All of a sudden, a head popped out of the toilet and he said, ‘I’m in here.'”


The man had crawled into the waste holding tank beneath the toilet seat. Kansas City firefighters arrived at the scene and first tried to help him climb out on his own. During the rescue, the man told responders he had entered the tank to recover a Mountain Dew bottle he had accidentally dropped there the previous night.

However, not everyone believed his explanation, with many social media users wondering if there might be something else in the bottle.


Unable to free him otherwise, firefighters cut apart the portable toilet and rescued him.

After he was pulled out, firefighters used water from one of their trucks to rinse him off before wrapping up the unusual rescue, which has since gone viral online.