Man rescued from cupboard

A central Christchurch worker was rescued from a large cupboard by the fire service yesterday.

The man, who did not want to be identified, arrived at the Canterbury Manufacturers' Association building yesterday morning and showered before starting work.

A colleague said that the shower was situated at the back of a large cupboard-like storage facility in the building.

The man pulled the door shut on his way in. However, it wedged in place and the lock jammed, leaving him trapped inside.

Southern fire communications centre shift manager Brian Sharpe said an emergency call was received just before 9am, reporting that a man was stuck in a closet.

A fire appliance was sent to the building.

Christchurch central fire station officer Evan Brown said it took about 10 minutes to open the door.

"We used a screwdriver ... and took the pins out. He took a bit of a ribbing from us."

After officers removed pins from the door, the man managed to kick it open, Brown said.

The employee was left waiting in the cupboard wearing just his towel and a shirt, but handled the situation in good spirits, he said.

The rescued man did not return a request to contact The Press.