Firefighters rescued a teenage boy after he fell into an abandoned missile silo in Colorado, authorities said.
On Wednesday, crews from multiple fire stations in Arapahoe county worked to rescue the teenager who accidentally fell approximately 40 to 50 feet into the silo shortly before 4pm, local outlets reported.
In a statement to 9News, Brian Willie, a spokesperson for South Metro Fire Rescue, said two teenagers and an adult were on top of the silo when one of the teenagers fell in. According to SMFR, the teenager fell into water but was not completely submerged because of its shallow depth.
On a post on Facebook, Sable Altura Fire Rescue, which assisted with the rescue mission, said the silo was believed to be an exhaust vent tunnel of a decommissioned Titan missile facility.
The Titan 1 was one of the first intercontinental ballistic missiles developed by the US. Spanning 98 feet, the missile was designed to carry nuclear warheads, according to the Colorado department of public health and environment.
There are six former Titan 1 missile complexes across the state. Despite being decommissioned in 1965 with the missiles removed, the complexes’ silos remain underground.
Upon arriving on scene, SAFR crews built a rope system and two crew members descended into the silo. After assessing the boy’s injuries, crew members attached a harness to him before crews from Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue and SMFR helped bring the boy back to the surface shortly after 5pm.
According to SMFR, the boy was transported to the hospital and did not have life-threatening injuries.
Speaking to 9News, Willie warned against the dangers of the silos and said: “We just would really ask that people respect the private property and stay off this land and out of that property.”
SAFR echoed similar warnings, saying: “A reminder … the military history on the eastern plains of Colorado, is better left to the history books. Please do not think for any moment that these are safe environments to enter or explore.”
