HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A 17-year-old boy was freed Wednesday afternoon after he became trapped inside an abandoned bank vault in Hollywood for more than three hours.
The incident occurred at a closed Bank of America branch int the 5900 block of Dewey Street.
Authorities told Local 10 News reporter Christian De La Rosa that two teens broke into the building and were fooling around inside when one of the teens got trapped in the vault around 1:30 p.m.
"Unfortunately, there were two juveniles that were playing around inside an abandoned bank and they didn't know that the vault was still active," Hollywood police Officer Christian Lata said. "(While) playing inside the vault, one of them got trapped inside and, luckily, the other one was outside and was able to call 911."
The Hollywood Fire Department, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue's technical rescue team and at least two private vault technicians were called in to rescue the teen. Crews drilled into the wall of the bank in an unsuccessful attempt to free the boy.
Lata said the teen was rescued shortly before 5 p.m. after a Bank of America employee who works at the bank's new location across the street walked over and gave authorities the combination to the vault.
The teens' parents were called to the building and authorities released the boys to them.
It's unclear how the teens were able to get inside the building or why they decided to break in.