Firefighters with the Chattanooga Fire Department responded to a tricky situation that spanned several hours at a convenience store on Tuesday night.
They found an employee of the Tiger Mart on Hixson Pike sitting on the floor with her left hand and arm stuck in a cash dispensing safe around 8:30 p.m. The employee said she had been trying to make sure the money she deposited was secure in the machine, but then realized she couldn’t get her hand out. Several of her fingers were caught in the tumbler on the locking mechanism, according to a news release.
An endoscopic camera was used to get a look at the mechanical parts inside the safe, and officials on scene managed to speak with the safe manufacturer in order to find out how to take the device apart without causing harm to the woman.
Crews had to dismantle the entire counter to get to all sides of the safe, and trucks brought extra equipment used to take the safe apart. The woman was covered with a wool blanket to protect her from sparks, the release states.
A special saw was used to cut through the back of the safe and the vending motor was removed. The mechanism was manipulated, freeing the woman’s fingers after nearly three hours of work.