Ohio teen travels quarter of a mile through sewer

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - An overflowing creek in a Cleveland suburb sent a 14-year-old boy on the ride of his life this week.

Authorities say Jeffrey LaPorta of Parma traveled more than a quarter of a mile through multiple sewer pipes, at times completely submerged in water, before he found enough breathing room to await rescue.

Parma Fire Department spokesman Doug Turner says the teen was riding his bike Tuesday through puddles created by the rising creek. He then fell into the overflowing water and was forced into a drain pipe.

Turner says firefighters opened at least six manhole covers downstream, calling out to the boy before they found him. He was then pulled to safety and taken to a hospital, where he received six stitches on his elbow and was released that evening.