Garden City police officers used a Halligan tool to open a storm drain and retrieve a woman’s lost cellphone, turning an unusual call for assistance into a successful rescue mission.
GARDEN CITY, NY — Police officers on Long Island found themselves handling an unusual rescue Monday, October 5, after a woman accidentally dropped her iPhone through a sewer grate and needed help getting it back.
The incident occurred in Garden City, Nassau County, where officers responded to the woman’s request for assistance after the phone disappeared beneath a street drain.
Rather than leave the device underground, officers used a Halligan tool, a heavy-duty forcible-entry instrument commonly carried by firefighters and emergency responders, to open the grate.
They were then able to retrieve the iPhone.
The incident was included in the Garden City Police Department’s weekly activity report released Friday, October 9.
Halligan tool comes to the rescue
A Halligan tool is typically used by emergency personnel to pry open doors, remove barriers and gain access to confined spaces during rescue operations.
In this case, officers put the tool to work on a sewer grate rather than a locked building.
The specialized tool allowed police to access the drain and recover the woman’s cellphone.
The department did not report any injuries or damage associated with the incident.
The unusual call was among several incidents listed in the Garden City Police Department’s weekly activity report, which covered September 30 through October 6.
The department did not disclose the woman’s identity, the location of the drain or whether the iPhone remained operational after being recovered.
No criminal activity was reported in connection with the incident, which ended with the device safely retrieved.