The man, who remains unnamed, suffered from morbid obesity which left him incapacitated to such a degree that he had not been able to wash or dress himself for the past 5 yearls. The 65 year old was said to be found "knee deep in rubbish, from rotting pizza boxes to old food and tins….(with) vermin rustling about". The rubbish overflowed so much that the front door of the apartment had to be broken down in order for the firefighters to gain access.
A firefighter reported that "the smell was indescribable" and the conditions an "absolute hell".
His cry for help came in the form of a rhythmic tapping which his downstairs neighbour heard on her ceiling, prompting her to call emergency services. When rescue workers arrived they found he was having serious difficulty breathing but was to large to leave through his own front door.
A crane had to be called in to remove him from the premises so that he could be transported to the hospital by ambulance.
WOMAN 'BURIED ALIVE' AFTER DOCTERS TELL HER FAMILY SHE SUCCUMBED TO CANCER
The foul smell was so intense that the firefighters were laters seen hosing off and disinfecting any equipment involved in the man's rescue.
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