During a visit to Ten Boer in Groningen, a 70-year-old Californian woman had a near-fatal experience yesterday.
The woman, who was staying with friends, unexpectedly fell into a sinkhole as deep as 4 meters…
Elisabeth Posthumus Meyjes, a minister in Ten Boer, was hosting the 70-year-old Californian woman at her residence next to the cloister church.
“She suddenly disappeared”
While walking towards the church in Woltersum with her husband and their American guest, tragedy struck.
“We wanted to go to the church in Woltersum. My husband was walking ahead on the path, followed by our guest from America. Then I came. And suddenly the person we were with disappeared,” Posthumus Meyjes recounted to RTV Noord.
“Call 911”
“I heard ‘call 911!’ and saw that a huge hole had formed,” she further explained to the local broadcaster.
A ladder was quickly placed in the hole to assist the elderly woman as she could not get out on her own.
The volunteer fire department arrived promptly and rescued her from the sinkhole.
Posthumus Meyjes described the woman as very cold and mentioned that she had been partially submerged due to the high water level. She also sustained injuries to her head and leg from falling debris.
Had a stroke of luck
To recover from the shock, they are engaging in extensive conversations. Posthumus Meyjes expressed gratitude that the incident had a relatively positive outcome.
The situation could have been much worse for the American visitor. It appears that recent heavy rainfall might have been a contributing factor. The church authorities plan to hire an independent firm to investigate the cause and evaluate any potential future risks, as reported by RTV Noord.
What a frightening experience for the American lady!
Let’s show our support by sharing on Facebook. Wishing her a speedy recovery!
