Camper Rescued After Falling Into Vault Toilet Tank

A camper was rescued after falling into the chemical storage tank of a vault toilet at a California campground on Saturday, an incident authorities said began when he tried to retrieve a dropped pair of sunglasses. The man spent approximately 10 to 15 minutes trapped inside the sewage tank at Camp Edison near Shaver Lake in the Sierra Nevada foothills before emergency crews pulled him to safety.

The Fresno County Sheriff's Office reported that the incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. According to officials, the man dropped his sunglasses into the waterless, non-flushing toilet and then fell several feet into the underground holding tank while attempting to get them back. A caller reported someone was trapped inside the confined space, prompting a response from deputies, Cal Fire firefighters, and campground staff.

A language barrier initially complicated the response, as the man spoke only Spanish. A translator assisted first responders in understanding that the subject had fallen into the chemical storage tank. Crews worked together to extract the camper from the tank. He was then put through a decontamination process due to exposure to urine, fecal...