Firefighters in B.C. had to use the jaws of life to save a homeless woman who was trapped in a steel donation bin.
The woman, 45, was apparently trying to pull donated items out of the locked container when she got stuck, Ridge Meadows RCMP told Global News.
Crews had to pry the metal bin open to free the woman. (Photo: Shane MacKichan)
It was unknown how long she was trapped before a worker at a nearby grocery store in the Meadowtown Centre spotted her and called 911.
A witness said people were trying to hold up the woman's legs, as her head was caught inside and she had stopped breathing.
Crews who pried the bin open immediately freed the woman and started CPR. She was rushed to hospital in serious condition.
UPDATE - Sept. 29, 2015: The RCMP said the 45-year-old woman has died from her injuries.
Emergency crews rush a woman to hospital after she was freed from a donation bin. (Photo: Shane MacKichan)
The containers, which are usually located in parking lots or on busy streets, collect donations like clothing and shoes for charities. They are designed with heavy chute openings to deter people from taking items out.
Last year, a man in Michigan died in a donation bin after he was pinned by his arm and neck. In 2009, a Mississippi woman got trapped in a bin and died of hypothermia.
Also on HuffPost
