Man gets stuck in chimney while trying to get his dog out of locked building

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BRISTOL, Conn. — Firefighters had to rescue a man who got stuck in the chimney of a Connecticut parks building while trying to retrieve his dog from a bathroom when the doors automatically locked for the night.

Police were called Sunday morning to Rockwell Park in Bristol for a burglary complaint and were told by parks employees that someone was in the chimney. Firefighters responded to the scene and got the man out after having to remove parts of the chimney and building, causing $5,000 to $10,000 worth of damage, police said.

The Bristol man, who was not injured, was arrested and charged with burglary, trespassing and criminal mischief. He was released on bond and ordered to appear in court on July 7.

A message seeking comment was sent to an email address listed in public records for the man. Phone numbers listed for him were not in service. Online court records did not list a lawyer for him.

The man got stuck near the flue of the chimney of Mrs. Rockwell’s Pavilion, a building named after a beneficiary of the park. Locks on the doors to the bathrooms are on new timers and automatically lock at 10 p.m. every night, said Erica Benoit, community engagement coordinator for Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services.

It’s not clear how the dog got stuck in the bathroom or how long the man was in the chimney. The doors can be opened from the inside after they are locked for the night. The dog was unharmed, police said.

“It is a bit of a crazy scenario,” Benoit said. “Our parks staff is working with the police department and the fire department to make sure that doesn’t happen again. If he had just contacted police in the first place, we might have been able to avoid the situation.”

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