Skip to content

Woman falls up to 20ft down uncovered drain

Zhara SimpsonSouth West
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service The drain from above. A floodlight appears to be shining down into it. There is a large metal pipe going down the length of a dark brick wall, and other metal bars on the left. There are traffic cones at the bottom of the deep drain.Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
The fire service said the woman fell down the drain shortly after midnight

A woman had to be winched to safety by emergency services after falling up to 20ft (6m) down an uncovered drain.

Fire, police and ambulance teams were called to the incident in Princess Street, Plymouth, at about 00:50 GMT.

The woman had "no obvious signs of injury" but was taken to hospital to be assessed, according to Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service.

It added that it believed the grating on the drain had been removed.

A red barrier around the drain, which has a temporary yellow cover on top of it.
The woman fell down the drain in Princess Street, Plymouth

A spokesperson for the fire service said it used working at height equipment to rescue the woman, who had been walking with a friend when she fell.

"We set up a tripod and winched her up in a harness in a safe and controlled manner as we didn't know the extent of her injuries at that time," they added.

Two red signs with the words 'footway closed' and 'pedestrians' in front of a red barrier around the drain.
The area has since been closed off to pedestrians

Devon and Cornwall Police said teams from Plymouth Highways also attended the incident.

The area has since been fenced off to pedestrians and the drain has been covered.

Plymouth City Council has been contacted for comment.

Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.

Related internet links