
Witnesses were unable to lift the heavy iron ark off of the student and they called in rescue forces. Hatzolah tried in vain to rescue the student but were unable to.
Luckily the brave men of the FDNY were able to use wedges and brute strength to lift the heavy structure high enough so that the student could get out.
“We got him out!” a firefighter shouted as the student emerged from the ark.
A Torah was also pulled from the safe and carried off.
Firemen on the scene say that it is a miracle that he emerged without even a scratch and that the doors opened in exactly the way it did, so that nothing fell on the student. Had the 3600 LBS structure fallen on the student it could have crushed him to death.