WATCH: Man survives three hour ride in back of garbage truck

ABOVE: Nick Janes brings us the story of one man’s three hour ordeal in the back of a garbage truck

TORONTO – They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

But for one garbage man in California, the true value of his collected garbage became shockingly clear when he went to dump his trash at the local landfill – and discovered a man had been trapped inside his truck along with the other refuse.

“People in the industry have a hard time believing he survived. This is really kind of a miracle that he didn’t die,” a spokesperson for the local fire department told CBS Sacramento.

The incident happened this past Wednesday, when a garbage truck in Yolo County, California was doing its normal rounds in the North Highlands area.

According to police, the man said he was digging through the garbage in a dumpster searching for his wallet when the truck picked up the dumpster and emptied its contents – himself included – into the back of the truck.

WATCH: Man falls asleep in dumpster, ends up in back of garbage truck

From there, two pieces of creative thinking and good fortune likely combined to save his life.

For one, the truck was only half full, allowing for more space as the trash was collected and compacted.

First responders also say the man told them he built a “coffin” out of wooden planks he found in the back of the truck, creating a small space that prevented him being crushed.

“He described the area that he built around him as a coffin, and those were his words, so we’re fortunate it didn’t turn out to be a coffin,” said Yolo County Sheriff’s Lt. Martin Torres.

The garbage truck driver was not aware of his human cargo until he dumped off his load of trash at the local landfill – and was stunned to see a man fall out with all the other garbage.

Incredibly, the man was taken to hospital with only minor injuries.