LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Firefighters had to break down the wall of an apartment on Thursday to extricate a man weighing 800 pounds (363 kgs) so he could be taken to a hospital for treatment with breathing problems. Fire Capt. Steve Ruda said it to about an hour for the 57-year-old man to be wheeled to a fire truck on a special gurney for his trip to a hospital. Neighbours said the man, who was not identified, had not left his apartment, in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, for a year. Fire department spokesman Brian Humphrey said firefighters handled the situation „in a delicate manner to ensure his medical needs are met and to try, if possible, to maintain his dignity under trying circumstances.“