WILLIAM ROLLER
The Sun (Yuma, Arizona)

A Circle K store employee whose hand was trapped in a coin machine was rescued Sunday, according to the Yuma Fire Department.

The YFD responded to a call for an injured person at the Circle K at 695 S. 4th Ave. just after 8 a.m.

Arriving at the scene, paramedics found an employee with her hand jammed inside a coin dispensing safe, a YFD news release said.

The safe's front-plate opening was just large enough to place a hand inside, the fire department said, and first efforts to free the employee by lubricating her hand failed.

The customer side of the counter then had to be sawed away to reach the back of the safe, YFD said. The safe was also sawed open to gain entry to the inner mechanism.

Paramedics were then able to remove the employee's hand from the safe, YFD said.

She was taken to Yuma Regional Medical Center suffering from possible fractures to two fingers. But she reportedly sustained no loss of circulation to her hand.

Copyright 2009 The Sun
June 8, 2009