Man rescued from tunnel he was digging to allegedly rob bank in Rome

A would-be thief was rescued from a tunnel he was digging in order to reach a bank in Rome he allegedly planned to rob on Thursday, officials believe.

The suspect was buried about 20 feet underground after a road near the Vatican collapsed on him, according to The Guardian.

An eight-hour rescue began after one of the victim’s four alleged cohorts escaped from the tunnel and called authorities, the outlet reported.

“Help, I beg you to get me out,” the crook was reportedly heard pleading to first responders from beneath the rubble.

After being given liquid food and a canister of oxygen, the man was eventually pulled out alive to enthusiastic applause from a crowd that had gathered to watch the strange scene. He was hospitalized in critical condition, according to the report.

Four other suspects were charged in connection with the tunnel dig, which was allegedly intended to reach the vault of a nearby bank, the paper reported. All five men had prior robbery arrests.

The team of crooks had planned to pull off the heist on Italy’s Ferragosto feast Monday, when banks are closed and the usually bustling capital city is largely deserted, according to the article.