A routine trip to the bathroom turned into a nightmare for a tourist visiting the Henbury Meteorites Conservation Zone near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The woman, who was traveling with her partner and two children from Canberra, entered a long-drop toilet on Sunday afternoon and did not emerge for three hours after the structure collapsed, leaving her waist-deep in sewage.
Collapse of the Long-Drop Toilet
Long-drop toilets, common in remote areas, use a deep pit to collect waste. According to NT WorkSafe, which is investigating the incident, initial inquiries indicate the toilet fell into the sewage pit, taking the tourist with it. The agency stated, “NT WorkSafe has been notified of an incident where a tourist fell into a sewage pit at the Henbury Meteorites Conservation Zone.” The collapse was reported as a dangerous incident under work health and safety laws.
Rescue by a Tradesman
A witness, speaking anonymously to NT News, described the situation as the visitor being in “deep shit”—standing up to her waist in waste containing nappies and other refuse. The woman’s partner drove up the highway to find phone reception and seek help. A passing tradesman happened by and used a tow rope lowered into the hole, which the woman stood on, then his car to lift her out. The rescue took about 45 minutes. The woman sustained only a few cuts but was understandably shaken and was taken to Alice Springs Hospital.
Previous Incidents
This is not the first incident involving a long-drop toilet. In 2024, Country Fire Authority crews rescued a man stuck in one near Wodonga, Victoria, in a similar ordeal that took about an hour.
Images of the site, provided by local blog Action for Alice, show the area cordoned off with caution tape. The blog commented, “This won’t feature in tourism brochures. Somebody’s in a lot of shit for this one, pardon the pun.”
