"A City of Portland truck just fell into a giant hole"

PORTLAND, Ore. - Two 911 calls that were made when a large sinkhole swallowed a City of Portland maintenance truck have been released.

The incident happened Tuesday afternoon at Southeast 16th and Oak Street.  The truck that fell in the hole was a high pressure sewer cleaning machine that city workers were using to respond to a sewer problem.

Excerpt From First Caller

Operator
"911"

Caller
"A City of Portland truck just fell into a giant hole.  It's on the corner of Southeast 16th and Oak Street."

Operator
"Southeast 16th and Oak Street?"

Caller
"Yeah."

Operator
"How big of a hole?  A whole truck size?"

Caller
"The truck just caved in.  They were trying to figure out why there wasn't any water on the street and this giant hole just opened up in the center of the street and the truck has fallen into it, like halfway."

Excerpt From Second Caller

Caller
"I think his leg is broken.  He went into the hole about 20 feet down."

Operator
"He is currently there?"

Caller
"We got him out of the hole, but there is gas leaking too."

Operator
"OK, so you think broken leg."

Caller
"Broken leg.  We need an ambulance."

Operator
"Is he awake and breathing?"

Caller
"He is.  We got him out of the hole and he is on the ground."

Operator
"Is he bleeding?"

Caller
"Are you bleeding anywhere?  No. No, he's not, but there is definitely gas leaking.  They broke the gas main."

A crane working with a tow truck later maneuvered the truck out of the sinkhole.  In an ironic twist, city officials said the truck's fall did have a positive impact.  When the truck fell into the hole, it burst a water line.  The shot of water that came out of the line unclogged the sewer line that the workers were there to fix.