Ogden Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Wood said the 55-year-old woman was found stuck in the vent at her home Monday evening after her niece became concerned that she was not answering the phone and notified authorities, KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, reported Tuesday.

"It took crews about 15 minutes to get her out of the vent. They had to use sheet metal shears to free her," Wood said.

"She went down about 5 feet. She had been in the chute for more than 24 hours," he said. "I would think over a little more time it probably could have caused death."

The woman told rescuers she fallen into the vent after removing the cover to vacuum.