Illinois Woman Rescued After Fall into Sewer Vault

A woman had to be rescued from an underground sanitary sewer vault in northern Illinois after falling about 8 feet through an unsecured lid in the pavement.

The woman was not hurt.

Lt. Andy Wienckowski of the fire department in the village of Gurnee says the woman was walking down a sidewalk and stepped on the unsecured lid when she moved to avoid a pile of snow.

He says she was able at first to grab onto the sides of the opening but fell when she couldn’t hold on any longer.

The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reports that she used her cellphone to dial 911. Authorities quickly found her and lowered a ladder for her to climb out.