Man trapped for two days after sliding inside fan at California vineyard, cops say

A man who “inexplicably” climbed inside the shaft of a vineyard fan in California spent the next two days trapped in the cramped metal tube, authorities say.

A deputy called to investigate a suspicious blue car “parked in a location that made no sense” in a Sonoma County vineyard Tuesday at first couldn’t find a driver, a sheriff’s department post on Facebook said.

Then he noticed a hat on a nearby piece of farm equipment — a large portable fan, where he discovered the errant driver stuck fast inside the shaft.

Firefighters managed to extricate the man, who said he had been trapped for two days, from the tight confines, the Facebook post said.

The man told deputies he liked to take photos of antique farm equipment engines, although the fan wasn’t that old. Deputies also said “the man had far more methamphetamine than camera equipment.”

“The motivation to climb into the fan shaft remains a total mystery,” according to the post.

Deputies declined to immediately arrest the man, who needed medical treatment, but will recommend charges including trespassing and drug possession to prosecutors.

“Hide and seek is a two player game, at a minimum,” deputies advised, noting the outcome could have been far worse for the man if someone hadn’t reported his vehicle.

This story was originally published June 9, 2021 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Man trapped for two days after sliding inside fan at California vineyard, cops say."