A California camping trip took a very unfortunate turn when a man reportedly fell into a vault toilet while trying to retrieve his sunglasses.
The incident happened Saturday, June 20, at Camp Edison near Shaver Lake in Fresno County, California. According to YourCentralValley.com, first responders were called to the campground just before 2:30 p.m. for a confined space rescue.
When crews arrived, they found that a man had fallen into the chemical storage tank below a waterless, non-flushing vault toilet after trying to recover sunglasses he had dropped inside.
Sgt. Chris Tullus with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office told YourCentralValley.com that the man was inside the toilet for about 10 to 15 minutes before rescuers were able to get him out.
“Via a Spanish translator, they advised that the subject had fallen into the chemical storage tank,” Tullus told the outlet. “Law enforcement, Camp Edison staff, and fire personnel responded and were able to safely get him out, decontaminate him, and, he’ll be ok.”
The man did not report any serious injuries and was able to walk away after being hosed down by Cal Fire, according to the report.
It is unclear whether the sunglasses were recovered.
The Campground Lesson Is Pretty Simple
Most campers have dropped something somewhere they did not want to reach for it. A campground toilet may be the clearest example of when to let it go.
Vault toilets are waterless and non-flushing. Waste is stored in a tank below the toilet until it is pumped out. That means a dropped item is not just hard to reach. It can also create a serious health and safety risk.
The safer move is to notify campground staff and let trained responders decide what to do.
Or, in this case, accept that the sunglasses now belong to the vault toilet.
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