The Great Bend Police Department is investigating how a Great Bend man came to be in a dumpster that was in the process of being emptied during regular trash pickup early Saturday morning.

Onesimo Chavez-Perez, Great Bend, is in a Wichita hospital recovering from injuries sustained inside a commercial trash truck at approximately 6:30 a.m. Saturday. 

GBPD Capt. Scott Bieberle said Monday morning that it is unknown what Chavez-Perez was doing or how he came to be in the dumpster located at Landmark National Bank, 1823 Main St.  He was not an employee of the commercial trash company.

Capt. Bieberle reported that GBPD was called to the location at approximately 6:23 a.m. Saturday when the Unruh Brothers Waste LLC crew heard sounds coming from inside the truck as the dumpster was being emptied. Chavez-Perez was extricated and transported to the University of Kansas - Great Bend Campus with unknown injuries by Great Bend EMS. He was later airlifted to a Wichita hospital for further treatment, Capt. Bieberle said. The scene was cleared at approximately 7:51 a.m.