HOUSTON — A man was rescued from the back of a garbage truck early Friday morning in west Houston after being trapped inside a dumpster. The incident occurred shortly before 4 a.m. along Westheimer Road near South Voss Road.

The Houston Fire Department responded to the scene around 3:49 a.m. after the garbage truck driver called 911 upon hearing a man screaming for help from inside the dumpster while emptying it into the truck. The man told the driver he had injured his legs.

Firefighters used an aerial ladder and a Stokes basket to pull the man from the back of the garbage truck. He was conscious and alert during the rescue and was able to assist firefighters as he was moved onto the stretcher. "Before she crushed the hopper back to make more room for the next load, she noticed that individual rolling around inside the dumpster," said HFD Captain Brian Zaharis.

The man was transported to a hospital for treatment. His medical condition has not been released.

According to officials, the dumpster contained cardboard and no valuables. It remains unclear why the man was inside the dumpster, and it is not known whether he may have been dumpster diving or homeless. The incident remains under investigation.