Dropped my Phone Down a Storm Drain.. Help!

[kevindagee]

So on Monday, my phone slipped out of my pocket and fell into a storm drain. It could have fallen out out anywhere in the 30 minutes I was walking, but it had to fall right when I was walking by a storm drain.

I called the City of Phoenix, and was transferred back and forth to different departments for about an hour. I was told by Sewer that they did not have the personnel trained to open up the manhole that led into the storm drain. Funny, because if they didn't have the personnel to open it up, then why would they even build a manhole in the first place?

It is about six or seven feet deep, and my phone is down there. I've tried putting duct tape on a pool noodle to try to stick it onto my phone and fish it out; it stuck on for about two seconds and then fell off. I'm really in a tough situation right now, and any help would be great.

The storm drain looks similar to this: http://cdn.citylab.com/media/img/citylab/legacy/2012/10/24/StormDrain.embed.jpg
http://images.tbd.com/communities/storm-drain-tbdstaff-0930_606.jpg

[Edward McRichy]

If it stuck to the pool noodle for 2 seconds then that would be long enough for you to put it into a handle bag.  Put a rock in the handle back to weight it down.  tie rope or string to the handle bag and toss it down there.  Otherwise the lid is about 400 pounds.  Good luck.

[Ethan333]

You could try to use a crow bar to lift the cover

[Bob Z Moose]

I lol'd

[rileyjohnson22]

You could try to use a crow bar to lift the cover

Yes, also get somebody to belay as you repel hundreds of feet towards your phone. If you see a man on a donkey wearing a sombrero, you've gone too far.

[Exarach]

As a kid we used to play in those things.
The lid is not 400lbs.
If you can see your phone, get one of those magnet rods from harbor freight, and some idiot with a pool basket.

magnet rod is $10


Or, go commando, and be sure to have a backup rope

[Edward McRichy]

My mistake, 100 lbs.

[kevindagee]

As a kid we used to play in those things.
The lid is not 400lbs.
If you can see your phone, get one of those magnet rods from harbor freight, and some idiot with a pool basket.

magnet rod is $10


Or, go commando, and be sure to have a backup rope

A magnet rod? My phone is a Galaxy S3, and its mostly plastic. So I'm pretty much screwed there.

[Kommande1]

My mistake, 100 lbs.

400 lbs to 100 lbs is a big jump. Bro, do you even lift?

[OHboy]

Six to seven feet down?  Your arm should be at least 3-4 feet so get one of those claw things that handicap people use to grab things on high shelves. As long as it's a few feet long you should be good.  Or a butterfly net and a pole  and just punch the phone into Tebet and bring it up

[nukeduster]

[Old Dog]

Six to seven feet down?  Your arm should be at least 3-4 feet so get one of those claw things that handicap people use to grab things on high shelves. As long as it's a few feet long you should be good.  Or a butterfly net and a pole  and just punch the phone into Tebet and bring it up

OHboy's idea has definite possibilities, I have several assorted grabbers and they are great, try wrapping the ends with two way sticky tape...

GOOD LUCK

[kevindagee]

Six to seven feet down?  Your arm should be at least 3-4 feet so get one of those claw things that handicap people use to grab things on high shelves. As long as it's a few feet long you should be good.  Or a butterfly net and a pole  and just punch the phone into Tebet and bring it up

OHboy's idea has definite possibilities, I have several assorted grabbers and they are great, try wrapping the ends with two way sticky tape...

GOOD LUCK

I tried putting gorilla tape on a pool noodle because it was bendable, but didn't stick on for too long. I tried a pole, but it wasn't bendable and therefore I couldn't get to the phone.

[Old Dog]

Six to seven feet down?  Your arm should be at least 3-4 feet so get one of those claw things that handicap people use to grab things on high shelves. As long as it's a few feet long you should be good.  Or a butterfly net and a pole  and just punch the phone into Tebet and bring it up

OHboy's idea has definite possibilities, I have several assorted grabbers and they are great, try wrapping the ends with two way sticky tape...

GOOD LUCK

I tried putting gorilla tape on a pool noodle because it was bendable, but didn't stick on for too long. I tried a pole, but it wasn't bendable and therefore I couldn't get to the phone.

Have you tried the grabbers with two way tape, might just give you enough grip to bring it up slowly?

[TheUNIT]

This kind of reminds me of the Sandlot when they try to get the Ball signed by Babe Ruth back.