Delivery drivers have to navigate a variety of perils, thanks to the nature of their profession. Reckless drivers, territorial dogs and inclement weather all hit different when you deal with them multiple times a day.
But one driver really stepped in it earlier this month when he crossed a lawn to deliver a package and was swallowed up by a hole in the ground, Fox News reported.
Charles Amicangelo, a delivery driver for Amazon, had spotted a hole in the yard as he walked to the house in Apple Valley, California, to complete his delivery. He avoided the hole on the way back, but as he neared it the surrounding ground gave way, and he fell 13 feet …
Into a septic tank.
Knee-deep in sludge, Amicangelo — who spent time in the Marine Corps — was pungently aware of his situation but ready to do everything he could to save himself first.
There were roots exposed on the sides of the hole that he tried to use to pull himself out, but the sides of the hole just kept crumbling, thanks in part to the heavy rain the area had seen.
He also recorded part of the incident and posted it on social media, explaining his rather sticky predicament.
“I really do not want to die in somebody’s … whatever you call these things,” he said, according to Inside Edition. “I can’t even think right now.”
Amicangelo was smart enough to realize that his situation was quite dangerous, and if he continued to try to escape on his own, he could be facing a cave-in of sorts.
“I tried using these roots around me to get out, and it just pulled more dirt on top of me,” he said, according to Fox. “I just called dispatch, so hopefully, they are going to get the cops or the fire department here because I definitely don’t want to try to climb out on my own again.”
The Apple Valley Fire Protection District arrived to extract the driver.
“They put a ladder over the hole, so that it kind of stabilized the ground, and then they put [a ladder] down to him, and he actually self-extricated,” said Jennifer Alexy, an Apple Valley fire inspector.
She also confirmed that Amicangelo absolutely made the right call.
“The ground can really start eroding,” she explained. “The more you move, the more you have more ground come in on you.”
Once he got out, he admitted that the thought of a shower, a beer and ending his shift was incredibly appealing — but he knew there was still work to do, and rather than saddle someone else with the responsibility, he got cleaned up and then headed back out.
Amazon did give 50 of his remaining packages to another driver, so he only had 50 to complete his workday, but he was insistent on finishing up what he could.
“Another big thing is that had I not completed my route or attempted to at least — other drivers who had already been out there and done their entire routes would get stuck having to finish my route,” he said, according to Fox.
“And I just didn’t think that would be fair to them either. But I did voluntarily offer to take my route.”
