A man working at a Victorian caravan park had the fright of his life when he suddenly ‘disappeared’ neck-deep down a sinkhole.
The man was whipper snippering at Geelong’s Moolap Caravan Park yesterday afternoon he reportedly fell waist-deep into down a 4.5-metre sinkhole that was just 40centimetres wide.
Thankfully, the man called Norm was still able to reach into his pocket and get his mobile phone as the sinkhole began to engulf him.
After calling triple-0, the Geelong Advertiser reports that Norm was trapped in the hole for about 30 minutes.
He was reportedly neck deep in the dirt by the time emergency services arrived.
SES crews and other emergency personnel attended the scene. PIC: SES Victoria
Despite not knowing how long the rescue would take, Norm told the newspaper he managed to stay calm.
“I couldn’t get out because the hole was too narrow and every time I did try to move, it just kept sinking underneath me. It got up to roughly near my neck,” he told the Geelong Advertiser. “But I am all good.”
Norm’s fall prompted a major emergency response, with Country Fire Authority firefighters, Fire Rescue Victoria personnel, SES crews, police and paramedics all on scene.
Fire Rescue Victoria Commander Rob Berry said the incident was “unusual” and not something firefighters were often called to.
“He was lucky he had his phone on him and was able to reach it out of his pocket and call triple-0,” Mr Berry told the Geelong Advertiser. “He said he was about waist deep when he made the call but by time crews go there he was up to his arm pits and he was still sinking.”
Norm was quickly rescued and sustained no injuries.
Mr Berry said that, from talking to the owner of the site, it was a trench that was about 4.5 metres deep and had been back filled from when a septic tank was put in.
“Apparently it was put in within the last few months and with the ground being wet and moving around it has caused it all to settle and he has dropped into the sinkhole which was only 40 centimetres in diameter,” he told the Geelong Advertiser.
WorkSafe is now investigating the incident.
Lucky Bloke. It what you could call being in the poo. Glad he is alright, and just hope that the hole was fixed properly. Imagine if a child had got caught in this death trap.