A woman has told how she fell into a 10 feet deep sinkhole and swallowed a mouthful of sewage when she gasped for air.
Laura Gerber’s whole head went into the sewage in what she has called “one of the scariest experiences of my life”.
She had been on a night out in Watford last Sunday (March 12) when she stepped out of a friend’s car and took a step backwards into the sinkhole.
The gap in the ground had opened on Jubilee Road close to the junction with Leavesden Road and the waste water has now been drained.
Laura hit her back as she fell down the hole and was fortunately able to drag herself out.
“Her whole head went under, and she swallowed sewage water,” her boyfriend, Jason Topping, told the Watford Observer.
“It’s not nice to say but luckily she hit her back so her arms went out and she stopped herself. If she didn’t, I probably wouldn’t have a girlfriend here today. As she put her hands to the side and manged to claw on and, in a miracle, climbed out.”
Laura told how she gasped for air in the sewage.
She wrote on Facebook: "We got out of a friends car (in the exact same spot as we were picked up from) I stepped backwards to let someone else out the car and dropped straight into a sink hole (sic).
"I hit my back on the way down and massively injured myself. After gasping for breath under the water and somewhat managing to keep myself afloat. I managed to gain strength and pull myself up. All that I was thinking in those moments was that this is the end."
Laura said that the situation could have been a lot worse.
"As much as we were laughing (a bit too much if I’m honest) I just want to stress how serious this could’ve been. The hole was 10ft deep and this could’ve been anyone. I’m so thankful it was me and not someone who had less strength than me," she wrote.
"If I have hit my head instead of my back and lost consciousness I would’ve gone under and due to the current below I would’ve gotten completely lost and never been found again."
Laura had tests taken in hospital due to the risk of picking up an illness and warned people of the dangers from leptospirosis that can be caught from rat urine.
She wrote: "After sitting in a&e half of the day. Having multiple tests, bloods taken, X-rays, injections and antibiotics I have now learnt about Leptospirosis (rats urine). This can be life threatening. All I ask is if ever you come into contact with sewage PLEASE be seen immediately."
Laura did start vomiting on Monday and returned to Watford General Hospital where she is awaiting test results.
