Woman thought she was stepping into puddle but ended up gasping for breath in 10ft sewage-filled sinkhole
A WOMAN was left gasping for air after falling into a 10ft deep sewage-filled hole.
Laura Gerber was returning from a night out around 2:30am in Watford when she mistook the deep sinkhole for a small puddle.
She recalled the terrifying moment to the Watford Observer: “I stepped backwards to let someone else out of the car and dropped straight into a sinkhole.
“I hit my back on the way down and massively injured myself.”
Laura was gasping for breath as she tried to keep herself afloat in the deep water, but managed to pull herself up.
Her boyfriend Jason Topping recalled: “Her whole head went under and she swallowed sewage water.”
Laura also hit her back, which caused her arms to go out, which stopped her from going completely under.
Photos show bruising and a scrape on Laura’s back where she injured herself.
Jason continued: “If she didn’t, I probably wouldn’t have a girlfriend here today.
“As she put her hands to the side and managed to claw on and, in a miracle, climbed out.”
Laura emphasised how lucky she was to have strength to pull herself up, rather than someone weaker.
She said: “This could’ve been a child, a car, the elderly, literally anyone.
“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.”
Photos of Laura after the incident went viral, showing her soaked in sewage water, clearly shaken up from the incident.
She went to hospital, as contact with raw sewage can result in a multitude of diseases.
Doctors were worried Laura had leptospirosis, or Weil’s Disease, which can be life threatening.
Those affected get the infection by coming into contact with animal urine, and can suffer from high temperature, nausea, rashes and chest pain.
Laura remains in hospital as of March 14, after her health took a turn and she couldn’t stomach food.
Jason said: “I’ve never seen so much vomit come out of a woman.”
Laura emphasised: “All I ask is if ever you come into contact with sewage PLEASE be seen immediately.”
The Sun has reached out to Watford City Council for a statement.