Inside the Craziest Emergency Call This Palm Beach Plumber Ever Got
And what it teaches you about your own home
It was just past 1:00 a.m. when the call came in.
A family in West Palm Beach had just returned from a holiday trip to find their living room flooding with hot water. A pipe behind the wall had burst—and the water heater, well past its expiration date, had blown out with it.
But that wasn’t the craziest part.
“I thought it was a raccoon at first,” said Luis Mendoza, owner of Coastal Pipe Rescue, a local plumbing company known for late-night saves and calm-under-pressure service. “But then I saw the tail. It was a full-grown iguana, curled around the pipe like it paid rent.”
Apparently, the animal had snuck in through an old crawl space vent and made a home in the warmth of the water line. When the pressure gave way, so did its hiding spot.
The Hidden Dangers in Your Walls
It may sound like a one-in-a-million situation, but according to Mendoza, most plumbing disasters follow the same script:
- Aging equipment
- Overlooked leaks
- Homes that go uninspected for years
“We offer emergency calls 24/7,” Mendoza said, “but I always tell people—an inspection is cheaper than a flood.”
3 Things You Can Do Today
- Check your water heater’s date (look for the sticker—it’s usually on the side)
- Seal any crawl space vents — especially near your foundation
- Schedule a 15-minute visual inspection — no tools, no cost, just smart prevention
Special Offer for Palm Beach Locals
FREE Leak & Water Heater Check (Normally $79)
Now through the end of the month, Coastal Pipe Rescue is offering a complimentary inspection for first-time customers—just mention LocalBongo when you call.
Call 561-555-0164 or book online.
Appointments fill up fast. Offer ends June 30.
This story was created by LocalBongo to spotlight the kind of wild, weird, and helpful stories local businesses live every day. Want your business featured in a story like this?
