Warnings of ‘significant hazard’ after public lowers man into Wellington storm drain to save phone

A photo of a man being lowered headfirst into a Wellington storm drain to save his phone has sparked warnings after a similar incident ended in death.

A bystander posted a picture to Facebook group Vic Deals, showing at least three people holding a man while he entered a storm drain face-first on Courtenay Pl in the city centre.

The incident took place on Wellington Anniversary Day, and Eugene Ryder was one of the people who helped the man retrieve his phone.

Ryder told the Herald the man’s family members called the council to ask for help, but claimed they were told that wouldn’t be possible because it was a public holiday.

Multiple people helped lower the Wellington man into the drain on Courtenay Pl to save his phone.

Wellington City Council said this was incorrect and that their staff and contractors responded to requests within two hours, regardless of weekends and public holidays.

The council logged the incident with its roading maintenance contractors, but “the caller chose to retrieve the phone with help from the public despite this, and notified us when the phone was in their possession again”.

A council spokeswoman advised against people entering storm drains because of the risk.

“We appreciate the generous spirit of the public, but we highly advise leaving it to the experts in future, as it’s a significant health and safety hazard.”

Ryder said the phone’s owner “said there was important info on his phone he couldn’t lose”, and was planning to leave Wellington that night.

He said it was great to see so many strangers lend a hand and offer help. He invited the man to his apartment nearby to clean off and sent him home with a fresh crayfish.

In 2012, a drunk man died after falling head-first into a storm drain in central Wellington in a failed attempt to retrieve his car keys.

Peter Black, 43, drowned in the drain and his body lay there for a full day before members of the public found him. The incident happened just minutes away from the site of the latest incident.

While entering a storm drain isn’t illegal, the council strongly advised people to call its contact centre in an emergency. Contractors were on at all hours, every day.

Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.