Grandma, 61, plummets into freezing sinkhole after ground gives way beneath her – before three strangers haul her out
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A DISABLED grandmother plummeted into a freezing sinkhole after the ground gave way beneath her - before strangers dragged her out. Carol Carne, 61, was walking her three cockapoos in Eston Recreation Ground in North Yorkshire on December 27 when three-year-old Ruby fell into what looked like a large puddle.
![[Carol Carne after being rescued from a ‘sinkhole’ in Eston Recreation Ground]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/trying-save-dog-carol-carne-960869746.jpg?strip=all&w=769)
Carol rushed over to help but when she reached the edge of the water - which has since been described as a sinkhole - the ground beneath her gave way and she fell in. The gran, who lives in Eston, was completely submerged in the freezing water and had to fight to keep herself and Ruby afloat.
![[Carol and her three dogs, including Ruby who fell in the water]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/trying-save-dog-carol-carne-960869748.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
She screamed for help until three strangers came to her aid. Carol is certain that if no one had been there, she would have drowned in the sinkhole. She said: "We were walking and I let the dogs off the lead when we were in Eston Recreation Ground. "They ran ahead and I suddenly noticed all this water ahead - at the time I thought it was a huge puddle.
![[The freezing 'sinkhole' looked like a puddle]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/trying-save-dog-carol-carne-960869744.jpg?strip=all&w=720)
"But I noticed a plastic barrier in the water and I shouted for the dogs to come back. "Pippa and Stitch came back but it was too late for Ruby - she fell in. "I called for her but I realised she couldn't get out as the gap between the water and the ground was too high.
![[The 'sinkhole' has been fenced off]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/trying-save-dog-carol-carne-960869741.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
"She was starting to panic. "I rushed over and used my stick to try and hook her coat to drag her to the side. "But as I was doing that - even though I was about a foot and a half away from the edge - the ground beneath me gave way and I just plunged straight down.".
![[Cockerpoo Ruby almost drowned during the incident]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/trying-save-dog-carol-carne-960869783.jpg?strip=all&w=789)
