Man Looking for Clothes Gets Trapped in Donation Box and Calls 911, Pleading ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Before He Dies

A 45-year-old man died in Houston after becoming stuck inside a clothing donation box and being unable to breathe, authorities said.

In the early hours of Monday, Nov. 24, the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office received a distress call reporting a man trapped inside a donation box. Officials say the caller himself phoned 911 at about 1:36 a.m. and told the operator he was struggling to get enough air, according to CBS affiliate KHOU.

Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman told the outlet that the man appears to have climbed into the box and ended up in a position that restricted his breathing. During the emergency call, he could reportedly be heard saying he couldn’t breathe and was having trouble.

Assistant Deputy Chief Danny Garza said first responders arrived within about three minutes. He explained that investigators believe the man, who has not yet been publicly identified, was likely homeless and attempting to retrieve clothing from the box, which was fitted with an anti-theft mechanism.

According to Garza, the man entered headfirst and the box then began to close around him.

Garza said he believes a combination of the box’s design closing around the man and the likelihood that he began to panic ultimately led to his death. Emergency crews tried to rescue him after finding him in distress, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Garza said there were no signs of foul play and described the death as a tragic incident.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, which oversees the medical examiner’s office, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Arms of Hope, the Christian organization that manages the donation box, issued a statement to KHOU acknowledging the man’s death and offering condolences to him and his loved ones. The organization said it could not share additional details while the investigation remains active.

This is not the first fatal incident involving clothing donation boxes in the Houston area. In June, a man died after becoming stuck while allegedly trying to break into a donation box in the city, and in April 2022 a woman became trapped after reaching in to grab clothing for her child, Fox affiliate KRIV reported.

Constable Herman warned the public that these receptacles are not designed for anyone to climb into or access directly and urged people to stay out of them.