Photo: Rob Gibson

A West Kelowna man is lucky to be alive after being compacted in a garbage truck, not once but twice.

The West Kelowna Fire Department and RCMP were called early Thursday morning after a man was found trapped inside a garbage truck in the 2100 block of Louie Drive.

Police, firefighters and paramedics attended the scene and met the driver of the truck. He explained he first heard banging coming from inside the rear of his garbage truck. Once completely stopped, the driver exited and could clearly hear the man trapped inside.

"The driver realized the man had been picked up at a previous location while inside of a dumpster and had possibly been cycled [through] the compactor at least twice before being found," says RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera.

Firefighters were able to free the man, who suffered minor injuries to his feet and hands and was hypothermic. Emergency Health Services transported the man to Kelowna General Hospital for assessment.

“When the weather gets colder we sometimes see this happening as people seek shelter wherever they can. Fortunately, this outcome was favourable and he will survive his minor injuries,” says Della-Paolera.