A man who fell into a sinkhole which opened suddenly along a pedestrian pathway in Lagoa was injured in the early hours of this morning, remaining trapped down the hole for two hours.
The fall occurred during a walk, while the victim was walking in an area leading to Senhora da Rocha beach, in the Lagoa municipality.
Early Monday morning, the man fell into a hole that suddenly opened up in the ground in the Senhora da Rocha area of Lagoa, in the Algarve. This happened due to excess water accumulated in the soil, causing the crater to open up.
After the fall, which occurred around 5:00 AM, the victim remained in the crater for about two hours, only managing to contact a family member by phone, and asking for help during that period.
This land collapse occurred in an area used by pedestrians, on a slope connected to the bathing area. Soil saturation likely contributed to the loss of stability of the ground, leading to the sudden collapse of the surface. The Maritime Police have since isolated the site and some surrounding areas due to the instability of the terrain.
The alert, raised by a relative of the victim, led to the mobilization of firefighters from Lagoa, who proceeded to rescue the victim. Why rescuers were not able to provide a quicker response is not currently clear.
After being removed from the crater, the man was assisted on site and subsequently transported to hospital, where he was examined and had his injuries treated.
Source: Safe Communities Portugal
