Porta-Potty Rescue Ordeal

How a Man Ended Up Inside a Waste Tank

Workers with Patriot Portable Restrooms were picking up units from an event connected to the FIFA World Cup when they made the discovery, according to Fox 23. The man was inside the holding tank — the bottom reservoir where waste collects — not just the toilet cabin itself. The company said he had climbed in to get a Mountain Dew bottle.

It is not clear how the man got into the tank or how long he had been there before workers arrived. According to Local 12, he had been inside for around 8 hours by the time he was rescued. The man has not been publicly identified.

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Man Refused to Leave, Forcing a Police and Fire Response

When Patriot Portable Restrooms workers found the man, he would not come out, according to News 3 LV. A Kansas City police officer arrived on scene but could not reach the door to the tank. The officer was also unable to get the man to exit on his own.

Firefighters were then called in to handle the rescue, according to WGME. They managed to free the man from the tank. Crews used water from their fire trucks to rinse him off at the scene. He was not reported to have suffered any injuries from the ordeal.

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FIFA World Cup Connection Adds an Unusual Backdrop

The porta-potties were being collected as part of cleanup tied to a FIFA World Cup-related event in Kansas City, according to Bakersfield Now. Kansas City is one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the city has hosted several lead-up events. The timing put Patriot Portable Restrooms crews on a tight schedule when they made the discovery.

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Story Goes Viral, Details Still Thin

The incident happened on July 14 but drew widespread attention days later after Patriot Portable Restrooms spoke publicly about what their crews found, according to WWMT. The company's account — a man spending 8 hours in a waste tank for a soda bottle — quickly spread across news outlets nationwide.

Key details remain unknown. Police have not released the man's name. No charges have been reported. It is also unclear what happened to the Mountain Dew bottle, according to Idaho News. The story has not been officially confirmed by Kansas City police in any public statement.

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