CERES, Calif. (CBS13) – Police and firefighters worked together to dislodge a 21-year-old man from a storm drain Thursday morning after he became stuck while trying to retrieve his belongings, authorities said.

The Ceres Department of Public Safety said Jared Medeiros was trapped halfway in a manhole on the 2200 block of Hale Aloha Way for at least 40 minutes before a witness was alerted by his cries for help and called police at about 2:20 a.m.

Neighbor Christina Nieves said the man’s thrashing legs were the only part of his body that was visible, and she had a hard time explaining the situation to emergency dispatchers.

“I see feet dangling and she’s like, ‘Really?’” Nieves said.

Police arrived first at the scene and were unsuccessful in their attempts to pull Medeiros free, but firefighters with special netting equipment were finally able to safely pull him free.

Authorities said Medeiros told them at the scene that he had dropped his belongings into the drain and was stuck trying to reach for it, but Medeiros told his wife and CBS13 he had been jumped by gang members and badly beaten.

The attackers threw his cell phone into the drain, Medeiros claimed. The man said he has no recollection of how he became stuck or the circumstances surrounding his rescue.

Medeiros’ wife told CBS13 he was highly intoxicated and didn’t know why he didn’t tell police about the alleged attack.

Medeiros said he suffered painful head injuries during the incident and should have been hospitalized, but firefighters said he refused treatment at the scene.