Man falls into non-flushing toilet sparking multi-agency rescue operation

A man found himself in a very unfortunate situation after falling into a toilet at campsite while trying to retrieve his sunglasses.

We've all dropped things where we shouldn't, most commonly being our phones down the toilet.

This man had a similar situation, but he dropped his sunglasses instead of cellphone.

The incident occurred on Saturday (June 20), at Camp Edison in Shaver Lake, California, and rescue crews from Cal Fire had to be called to rescue the man.

The guy had fallen into a non-flushing toilet at the campsite. This is a type of toilet – which are sometimes called a dry toilet or toilet vault – that uses a sanitation system that operates without running water or a plumbing connection.

The no-so-happy camper was reportedly submerged in sewage for around 15 minutes before help came to get him out.

Speaking to yourcentralvalley.com, Sgt Chris Tullus explained: "Via a Spanish translator, they advised that the subject had fallen into the chemical storage tank."

He went on: "Law enforcement, Camp Edison staff and fire personnel responded and were able to safely get him out, decontaminate him, and he’ll be okay."

According to Tullus, the man was not injured but he did need 'hosing down' after the ordeal.

It's unknown if he was actually able to retrieve his sunglasses or not.

A similar ordeal took place in 2022 where a woman fell into a public toilet while trying to get to her phone.

This incident took place at the top of Washington's Mount Walker and, after dropping her cell down the toilet, she disassembled the toilet seat and used dog leads to try and reach it.

A woman had to call 911 after falling into a public toilet in 2022 (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

When that didn't work, the 40-something woman tried to tie the leads to herself for security before reaching down the toilet.

This tactic didn't go to plan either and ultimately she toppled into the toilet head first.

By falling into the toilet she was able to be reunited with her phone though, which allowed her to call 911 for help and the fire department sent a crew to the scene.

Speaking afterwards, Brinnon Fire Department Chief Tim Manly said: "I imagine that she was probably very fortunate. I don’t have any experience with that kind of a rescue, except for now, but I know that is not a good place to be."

The unnamed woman was uninjured but was urged to seek medical assistance after being in close contact with human waste.

Blergh.