A woman was rescued after falling into a pit toilet at Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve in the Australian outback, where she was trapped waist-deep in human waste for approximately three hours before being freed by a passing tradesman.
The woman, who was traveling with her family from Canberra to Darwin and back, fell into the toilet after the floor collapsed, according to multiple reports. The floor is believed to have given way due to rust. A local tradesman who happened to be passing by carried out the rescue, which involved dismantling the toilet and using a tow rope and a car to winch the woman out. The woman suffered minor cuts and was taken to Alice Springs Hospital for assessment.
The toilet has been cordoned off, and NT WorkSafe has launched an investigation. A spokesperson for NT WorkSafe said the notification was made by the agency managing the conservation zone, as a collapse or partial collapse of a structure is a dangerous incident under work health and safety laws. The Action for Alice Facebook page commented that the incident would not feature in tourism brochures and referred to decaying infrastructure. An eyewitness described the hole as containing literal nappies, excrement, and urine, and said the toilet was not even visible.
In a separate incident in Plymouth, England, a woman fell up to 20 feet down an uncovered drain and was rescued by emergency services. The drain grating had been removed, according to reports. The woman had no obvious signs of injury but was taken to hospital for assessment. A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said they set up a tripod and winched her up in a harness in a safe and controlled manner as they did not know the extent of her injuries at that time.