A suspect in a shoplifting incident in Batavia had to be rescued from a storm drain on Friday afternoon.
Genesee County Deputies got a call from security officers at a Kmart store who said they were trying to stop two men who allegedly took merchandise from the store. One of the men, 30 year old Wayne Rinker of Webster, ended up in a storm drain near the parking lot.
Deputies and firefighters went into the drain and found Rinker barely conscious and suffering from hypothermia. They were able to use a rope to pull him out. Authorities say if the deputies and other emergency personnel had not rescued him, he wouldn't have been able to get out and likely would not have survived. He was taken to a Batavia hospital.
Charges of larceny and conspiracy against Rinker are pending.
