The woman, who lives alone, fell into the tank outside her home in Oregon, USA, – before rescuers were called to haul her out when her daughter found her trapped
A woman lived in raw sewage for up to three days after falling into a septic tank.
The woman, who lives alone, fell into the tank outside her home – before rescuers were called to haul her out.
She was reportedly found with her body submerged , but her face visible and facing upwards.
Rescuers were called to the scene when the woman’s daughter came to visit her.
They said nobody would have heard her screams as neighboring houses, in Estacada, Oregon, were a “couple of thousand feet away”.
Fire chief Richard Anderson described to KATU 2 how the woman was found by her daughter.
He said: “She got concerned and went up to check on her … and found her inside of the septic tank.
“It looks like there was work being done on the septic tank.
“There was a tractor in the area and a hole had been dug exposing the tank.
“And then she had fallen through about a 2-foot by 2-foot hole in kind of the rusted metal top of the tank.”
Firefighters lowered down a handle of one of their tools to rescue the woman.
Richard added: “She was able to grab a hold of that, sit up slightly and they were able to get some other poles, a strap around her back and under her arms and then hoist her up out with that.“She was somewhat laying down with her face above the water level. Once we got her out, she was pretty weak so we just got her straight onto the cot and laid her own.”
The Estacada Rural Fire District No. 69 posted pictures of the rescue on Facebook , saying their crews responded to a “confined space rescue call.”
Their post said: “Once extricated, the patient was transported to the hospital by Lifeflight (a helicopter)”
