Published: July 20, 2009 06:55 am      

Girl rescued from small gun safe

BRETHREN -- A Manistee County Sheriff's deputy rescued a young girl from a small, 50-year-old gun safe she'd been locked in for 40 minutes.

State Police said Sgt. Scott Soper arrived at a Brethren area home Friday and immediately directed bystanders to drill an air hole into the two- by three-foot Meilink brand gun safe while he attempted to open it. A 10-year-old girl accidentally became locked in while playing in the unused safe that the family didn't know how to open.

A state police trooper eventually opened the safe after receiving instructions over the telephone by a locksmith in Mount Pleasant.

Police said the girl was not injured.