Woman rescued after falling into 8-foot hole in Bohemia backyard
The woman escaped after being trapped in what appeared to be an old well.
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A Bohemia woman was rescued after falling into an 8-foot-deep hole that suddenly opened beneath her feet in her backyard Thursday morning.
Danielle Tammone said she was walking in her backyard when the ground gave way beneath her.
“And then slowly, the earth just started moving or sinking,” Tammone said. “It was weird. It happened so fast. And then I was just down, down in a in an 8-foot hole with water and sod.”
Tammone said she found herself trapped in what appeared to be an old well. She was unable to climb out because she was worried the surrounding stone and brick could crumble on top of her.
“So, I screamed,” Tammone said. “I didn't stop screaming, screaming, screaming and praying. And then finally someone said, ‘Hello? What is that?’”
Two neighbors heard her cries for help and came to investigate. Video footage shows them locating Tammone and calling 911.
“We were purely frightened. Just terrified,” said neighbor Christine Chanowsky. “The hole was maybe about 12 inches wide, so I couldn't even believe that she was down there. And we could see her shoes on the outside of the hole and just hear her yelling, ‘Help!’”
Police arrived shortly afterward. According to neighbors, officers retrieved a ladder from a nearby garage and helped Tammone climb to safety.
“When she came out, I just gave her the biggest hug and started tearing up because it was just unbelievable that she is OK,” Chanowsky said.
Tammone said she escaped without any injuries, despite the frightening ordeal.
“I feel fine because it was soft,” Tammone said. “Thank God I didn't land on stone. It was just sod and water, but still scary.”
