Woman rescued after falling 16ft down hole on Perthshire estate

By FRANK URQUHART
Published on 23/07/2012 22:40

AN INVESTIGATION is under way after a woman plunged into a 16ft construction hole while taking a short cut home from a holiday park.

The 28-year-old woman, an Australian national, was recovering from her injuries in hospital last night after being rescued from the “borrow hole” – from where material is taken for another site – by firefighters after an hour-long operation involving ropes and ladders.

She had been treated at the scene of the accident for “precautionary spinal injuries” but her injuries are not believed to be serious.

The woman, who works at the Mains of Taymouth estate near Kenmore in Highland Perthshire, fell into the deep hole in the darkness as she was returning to her accommodation block in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Fellow workers who raised the alarm stayed with their injured colleague until she was brought to the surface in an operation involving fire and rescue crews from Aberfeldy, Pitlochry and Perth.

A spokeswoman for Tayside Fire and Rescue Service said the borrow hole had been “unprotected”.

Ewan Baird, station manager, who led the rescue operation, said: “This was an extremely dangerous situation the female staff member found herself in which could have resulted in multiple injuries. Fortunately the swift action of her colleagues calling the emergency services assisted her.”

He added: “Anyone digging a hole of this magnitude must ensure the safety of members of the public especially when it is so close to a community.

“Safety barriers and warning signs must be positioned to prevent incidents like this, where consequences could be far more serious.”

Tara Scott, managing director of the Mains of Taymouth estate, said the estate had launched an investigation into the accident.