Firefighters in California rescued a woman who had fallen into a 25-foot sinkhole Thursday, ABC7 reported.
The 40-year-old mother became trapped in the sinkhole just outside her mobile home in Fontana before first responders were able to rescue her, according to ABC7. San Bernardino fire officials reportedly said that the victim was walking over an old septic tank in her residence when it collapsed. (RELATED: Enormous Sinkhole Swallows Intersection In San Francisco)
#BREAKING Woman rescued by firefighters after becoming trapped in 25-foot sinkhole in Fontana https://t.co/iF9nMhxrp0
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) February 8, 2024
The woman’s children heard her cries for help and told neighbors that their mother had fallen into the hole, according to the outlet.
A neighbor told ABC7 that the victim “has a little boy, he’s like 8-months, and the sisters heard the little boy crying, and they’re like ‘Oh where’s mom,’ and they came outside, and they saw the hole.”
A 911 caller reported the accident, ABC7 reported.
“The 911 caller did everything correctly,” San Bernardino Fire Department officials said. “They did not attempt to enter the hole, or potentially do anything that could create additional victims.”
After rescue crews arrived, fire officials reported the woman was “awake and talking,” according to ABC7.
Rescue teams lowered a firefighter into the hole just after 10:30 am in an attempt to bring the woman up to safety, ABC7 reported.
Working with a cable anchored to a winch, rescue teams labored for an hour before they were able to lift the woman from the sinkhole, place her in an ambulance and transport her to the hospital, according to ABC7.
“She was in fear, she was crying, everyone saying ‘she’s OK, she’s OK,’ but she didn’t look OK,” neighbor Lizeth Gonzalez told ABC7.
The woman only sustained minor injuries, the outlet reported.
The rescue operation took two hours, though it is unknown how long the victim was trapped in the sinkhole, ABC7 reported.