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Woman rescued after snow-covered awning collapses, traps her for 10 hours

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Posted at 1:18 PM, Feb 24, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-24 14:18:41-05

SCHILLER PARK, Ill. – A woman in a Chicago suburb spent about 10 hours pinned under an awning that collapsed on top of her due to heavy snow and ice.

The Schiller Park Fire Department says it responded to the woman’s home shortly after 10 p.m. Monday and quickly began rescue efforts.

Crews say they started removing as much snow and ice as possible to take some of the weight off of the woman’s legs.

The fire department then placed struts down for stability before utilizing cribbing and a “multi-force air bag system” to lift the awning and free the woman, officials say.

The woman was then transported to an area trauma center to be treated for her injuries. WLS-TV reports the woman was in her 50s and was listed in “stable condition.”

According to the local TV station, the woman had gone out to shovel snow when the awning gave way, and she couldn’t get anyone’s attention for help until a family member arrived.

Luckily for the woman, temperatures in the Chicago area were warmer than earlier this month. If the same incident happened last week, when it was much colder, officials say there could have been a much more dire outcome.