Teenager rescued from inside abandoned bank vault

Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Police in Florida said a 17-year-old playing around in an abandoned bank ended up needing to be rescued from inside the former business' vault.

Hollywood police said two teenagers entered the former Bank of America branch Wednesday and one of them, a 17-year-old boy, ended up locked inside the vault about 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 told WPLG-TV. "[While] playing inside the vault, one of them got trapped inside and, luckily, the other one was outside and was able to call 911."

Police responded with the Hollywood Fire Department, a Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue technical rescue team and at least two private vault technicians to attempt to free the boy bank heist style, but an attempt to drill into the wall of the bank to reach the boy failed.

Lata said the boy was released from the vault after more than three hours when a Bank of America employee from the branch's new location was able to come to the scene and give authorities the combination to open the door.

The teenagers were released into the custody of their parents.