Firefighters free man stuck in Talus Dome

An Edmonton man has been charged after becoming stuck inside one of Edmonton’s most notable art installations.

According to Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) the 26-year-old man was trapped inside the Talus Dome, commonly called the Talus Balls, Sunday evening shortly before 8:30 p.m.

“Definitely a first for me,” said district fire chief Troy Brady immediately after the rescue on the side of the Whitemud Drive near the Quesnell Bridge.

OC: Footage of the dude IN the Talus Balls
byu/slipperydillpickles inEdmonton

“A gentleman had been climbing on the structure and somehow dropped himself into the middle of it and was unable to get out.”

Brady adding the man was unable to get out the way he had gotten in because of the angles.

It took EFRS 90 minutes to free the man, eventually requiring the technical rescue unit to use to jaws of life to remove one of the balls from the structure.

How did they get him out? It appears by removing a ball.

Here's a look at some of the damage to the art installation after last night's rescue at the Talus Dome #yeg pic.twitter.com/3A5ZFPbNiQ

— Carly Robinson (@CarlyDRobinson) April 10, 2023

“There’s a lot of steel on the inside of the structure to try and get to,” explained Brady.

He said although different than normal calls, the tools worked well.

Once the man was out, he was assessed by paramedics on the scene on scene.

Open Gallery 5 items

Edmonton police confirmed they have charged the 26-year-old with one count of Mischief over $5,000.

“Further investigation by police revealed that the male caused damage to several of the balls while climbing on top of the structure,” read an email from Sgt. Aubrey Zalaski.

At this time, it’s unclear how much it will cost to repair the structure. CityNews put in a request to the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton Arts Council for comment.

Since its installation in 2012, the $600,000 artwork by California-based artists has become one of the city’s most talked about art installation.