BETHEL — It was starting to lightly rain on Saturday, August 14, when a visitor parked outside of Bethel Foodliner. He was opening the back hatch of his Subaru and his car keys slipped from his hands and fell into the storm drain.

He called 911, which called the Fire Department, which sent Jim Bennett from the Fire Department to help. Bennett had tools with him, but not the right tools. He called Fire Chief Mike Jodrey.

Jodrey brought a different set of tools, including a magnet, but they couldn’t fish the magnet through.

Public Works Director Scott Sumner arrived, and upon hearing they needed a pry bar, he left and came back with one, along with a 4 x 8 magnet. The drop was about 12 feet. They tried fishing the keys out with this magnet, and were successful.

Ironically, this wasn’t the first time Sumner had rescued something from the storm drain. He once retrieved an engagement ring.