Life Doesn’t Imitate Art: Boy ‘Super-Hero’ Rescued

On television and in the movie, the wildly popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rescue people in distress every day.

But on Friday night, it was firefighters who saved one of the super-heroes.

Actually, they rescued a 13-year-old boy, dressed like one of the mutated humanoid turtles, who got wedged 15 feet down a neighbor’s chimney in the 5600 block of Wilhelmina Avenue in Woodland Hills.

“The kid was playing a Ninja Turtle game,” Los Angeles Police Sgt. Craig Aliano said. “I haven’t the slightest idea what that is.”

The rescuers worked about 30 minutes before freeing the boy, who was not hurt, Firefighter Pat Marek said.

They extended a ladder over the chimney and threw a rope attached to straps to the youth.

When the boy, covered with soot, emerged from the chimney, he explained that he was playing a game with some other children.

He wore goggles and a ski mask--both turtle trademarks.

Actually, Ninja Turtles prefer sewers over chimneys.

The turtles, named after classical artists, eat pizzas in their sewer digs and spend their days rescuing people.

The turtles appear on one of television’s hottest cartoon programs, and they recently starred in their own hit movie.

The wanna-be teen-age turtle was taken to a police station but was quickly released to his parents.

“The kid was just playing,” Aliano said.

“It’s a nothing for us.”