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Adelanto Grandmother Trapped For Hours After Falling 6 Feet Into Septic Tank

ADELANTO (CBS) — A grandmother was walking in her backyard when the ground collapsed, causing her to plummet six feet into a septic tank.

The Adelanto resident was screaming for help for nearly two hours until she was found by a family member.

"She was watering the plants around the garden and the ground gave in," said Eduardo Guijarro, who's related to the woman.

Firefighters were called to the home, at the corner of Hardy Avenue and Greening Street, and spent another couple of hours trying to hoist the woman out of the pit. They removed a portion of the home's wooden fence to

"It's a little difficult because it is confined so you're limited to the amount of movement you have and what you can do," said Capt. Sam Thomas of the San Bernardino County Fire Department.

Grandmother In Septic Tank
(credit: Victorville Daily Press)

Victoville Daily Press photographer James Quigg watched the rescue as neighbors and family members surrounded the yard.

"It was a good size of applause when she came out," Quigg said.

Relatives said the woman was in stable condition. She was still in the hospital Tuesday night after suffering a broken ankle and fractures to her chest. The woman suffers from diabetes, which could complicate her condition.

"Now, they're more concerned about her chest being broken," Guijarro said.

Family members say the woman was able to fall through because the concrete lid to the tank had deteriorated from water damage. The septic tank had been inactive for years and did not contain sewage.

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