Woman Falls Into Toilet Trying to Fetch Phone in Western Washington Forest Outhouse

BRINNON - The fire departments from the small north-western Washington towns of Brinnon and Quilcene responded to the top of Mt. Walker in the Olympic National Forest this past Tuesday after receiving reports that a female in her 40s fell into a toilet.

According to the Brinnon Fire Department, the woman told rescuers that while using the toilet, she dropped her cell phone down into the vault toilet, the kind commonly found in national parks and campgrounds.  She then attempted to dismantle the toilet and retrieve it. After disassembling the seat and housing, she used her dog's leash to try fishing it out. Eventually, she took the leashes and tried to use them to support herself, which failed, and she fell into the vault head first.

After 15-20 minutes of attempting to get out, she used her phone to call 911. Crews from both fire departments responded to the mountain top.

The crews made a makeshift cribbing platform by passing them down to the woman and pulled her to safety.

The woman appeared uninjured. She was washed down and given a Tyvek suit to wear. The Brinnon Fire Department says the woman was strongly encouraged to seek medical attention after being exposed to human waste, but she only wanted to leave.

She thanked the responders and continued her journey back to California.

The Brinnon Fire Department says the woman was extremely fortunate not to be overcome by toxic gases or sustain injury.