A routine bathroom visit turned into a nightmare for a tourist in the Northern Territory when a long-drop toilet collapsed, leaving her stranded waist-deep in excrement for several hours before a tradesman rescued her.
Incident Details
The woman, visiting the Henbury meteorite crater about 120km south of Alice Springs with her partner and two children from Canberra, entered the long-drop toilet on Sunday afternoon and did not emerge for three hours. Long-drop toilets, common in remote areas, use a deep pit to collect waste rather than modern plumbing.
Rescue Operation
According to a witness who spoke anonymously to NT News, the visitor was in "deep shit," standing up to her waist in waste containing "shit, literal nappies, piss." The woman's partner drove up the highway seeking phone reception and help when a tradesman happened by. He lowered a tow rope into the hole for the woman to stand on, then used his car to lift her out—a process taking 45 agonising minutes.
Investigation and Aftermath
NT WorkSafe is investigating the accident, stating initial inquiries indicated the toilet fell into the sewage pit with the tourist. The woman sustained only "a few cuts" but was understandably shaken and taken to Alice Springs hospital. Images from local blog Action for Alice show the site cordoned off with caution tape, with the blog commenting: "This won’t feature in tourism brochures. Somebody’s in a lot of shit for this one, pardon the pun."
This incident follows a 2024 case in Victoria where a man became stuck in a long-drop toilet at night, requiring an hour-long rescue by fire crews.
