Fond du Lac man gets hand stuck in gas tank trying to retrieve candy bar
Posted on June 29, 2011
Firefighters freed a Fond du Lac man Tuesday after he got his hand stuck in a car while retrieving a Snickers candy bar.
At 12:19 p.m. Tuesday, firefighters and police were called to the area of Western Avenue and South Brooke Street to rescue Earr Stokes, 20.
His cousin, Tyrone Williams, said he and Stokes took the car to a business at 222 Brooke St. to get a tire changed.
"He happened to look in the gas tank. There was chocolate in there. (Stokes) tried to get it out. He started picking it out with his hand and his hand got stuck," Williams said.
Williams said someone removed the Snickers bar from the wrapper and jammed it in the tank.
"It was just chocolate. Chocolate and peanuts," Williams said.
"He's hurting," Williams added while glancing over at his cousin who was attempting to pry his hand out of the tank with the help of firefighters.
Capt. Tony Knecht said firefighters resorted to cutting the filler pipe. Firefighters were then able to access the backside of the gas tank opening to release Stokes' fingers.
"He got some abrasions on his finger," Knecht said. "It's nothing serious."
Firefighters wrapped Stokes in a blanket and placed a jacket on him as a cutting machine was used on the car.
"The only concern was the possibility of a spark with the fuel tank," Knecht said.
One firefighter kneeled nearby with a fire hose in case the rescue went awry.
After being freed, Stokes slowly walked into a nearby ambulance where emergency personnel helped remove the pipe.
***The best quote "The only concern was the possibility of a spark with the fuel tank," Capt. Tony Knecht said.
FOND DU LAC, Wis. (AP) - Police responding to a complaint of loud noise have cited a Fond du Lac man for "rocking out" to the music of John Denver. 
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