Boy rescued 12 hours after falling into Los Angeles sewer

Authorities floated cameras down pipes to locate him

A 13-year-old boy who plunged into Los Angeles’ sewer system was found after authorities spent the night searching a vast network of pipes.

While picnicking with his family on Easter Sunday in the city’s popular Griffith Park, Jesse tumbled some 25 feet (7.6 metres) into a sewage pipe.

His disappearance set off a concerted search effort that stretched over 12 hours and marshalled more than 100 firefighters working together with sanitation workers.

In trying to determine where he ended up, Los Angeles authorities confronted a monumental task: they were searching for the boy in a sprawling section of the sewage system that encompassed some 6,400 feet (1,950 metres) of pipes.

With the help of cameras they floated down pipes, responders were able to eventually locate Jesse about one mile (1.6 km) away from where he disappeared.

“It is with happy hearts that all Los Angeles City agencies are able to state that we have found Jesse Hernandez,” Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Erik Scott said at an early morning press conference, the sky still dark behind him.

Responders sent Jesse a cell phone so he could call his family. He was subsequently taken to a hospital for medical evaluation and decontamination and reunited with his family.

“Grateful to the 100+ personnel & the teams from multiple departments who worked tirelessly to find him & bring him home, safely”, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garrett said after Jesse was found.

The mayor called the rescue “a testament to the incredible work and collaboration” of the array of city departments that sprang into action.