A woman waiting for a bus on an Upper East Side sidewalk plunged seven feet underground when a three inch section of the sidewalk gave way.
Imagine you're waiting for the bus.
You go to stand underneath a nearby awning to shield yourself from the rain and the ground just gives away.
That's exactly what firefighters say happened to a woman who was then rushed to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
"She was on a fragile piece of concrete, unaware of it and the concrete gave way, she fell about seven feet into a hole -- the vault on the exterior of the building," said FDNY Chief Thomas Jemmott.
It all happened Friday night around 9:00 p.m. in the pouring rain on East 60th Street near 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. After the sidewalk caved, 31-year-old Ulanda Williams became wedged in the hole.
Firefighters tried to life her out, when that didn't work -- they had to break down the wall of the Atomic Wings restaurant just to reach her.
Rescuers then put straps on the victim and used a pully to get her out.
Fox 5 News asked Chief Jemmott that the victim is heavy set and if that have anything to do with this (the sidewalk caving in)?
"I would say yes, she was probably over 400 pounds that kind of weight, small spot, just gave.
And more people could have been standing where the victim was.
"The lady standing there waiting for the bus -- it was just a matter of seconds."
It took firefighters about 20 minutes to get her out. Fortunately, the victim reportedly is in stable condition with a broken arm and should be fine.
As for who is responsible for the sidewalk caving, that's still under investigation. It's the leasee versus the owner and sometimes it might be even more convoluted than that.
Monday, June 17 2013 10:30 PM EDT2013-06-18 02:30:40 GMT
Photo courtesy of @N42_21_W71_04)
A train derailed in one of the East River tunnels Monday afternoon, disrupting service on the Long Island Rail Road. Westbound service between Jamaica and Penn Station is temporarily suspended.
A train derailed in one of the East River tunnels Monday afternoon, disrupting service on the Long Island Rail Road. Westbound service between Jamaica and Penn Station is temporarily suspended.
Monday, June 17 2013 9:50 PM EDT2013-06-18 01:50:24 GMT
More than two dozen family members packed a court room to support the daughter who never gave up on finding her father's killer.
More than two dozen family members packed a court room to support the daughter who never gave up on finding her father's killer. For the first time, Joselyn Martinez came face to face with the man she believes took her dad away from her when she was just a little girl.
Monday, June 17 2013 6:03 PM EDT2013-06-17 22:03:08 GMT
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has tried to limit the size of soda consumption, ban smoking in parks, encourage bike riding and now there"s another possible plan on the table: mandate recycling of food waste.
West Side resident Matt Murphy has stored a pail of leftovers on his floor for the last two months. His building is part of the city's food-recycling pilot program. Mayor Bloomberg wants to expand the program citywide.
Monday, June 17 2013 9:04 AM EDT2013-06-17 13:04:33 GMT
Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who was allowed to travel to the U.S. after escaping from house arrest, said Monday that New York University is forcing him and his family to leave.
Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng, who was allowed to travel to the U.S. after escaping from house arrest, said Monday that New York University is forcing him and his family to leave.
Monday, June 17 2013 8:21 AM EDT2013-06-17 12:21:23 GMT
Related Companies, a major landlord across the country, is banning smoking in all of its apartments. The new rule is meant to create healthier living conditions, according to company officials.
Related Companies, a major landlord across the country, is banning smoking in all of its apartments. The new rule is meant to create healthier living conditions, according to company officials.
Monday, June 17 2013 7:02 AM EDT2013-06-17 11:02:34 GMT
Two New York City Council committees are holding a hearing on glitches to the city's emergency 911 system that at times have forced phone operators to resort to pen and paper.
Two New York City Council committees are holding a hearing on glitches to the city's emergency 911 system that at times have forced phone operators to resort to pen and paper.
Sunday, June 16 2013 7:05 PM EDT2013-06-16 23:05:53 GMT
Sunday was a historical graduation day for the first class of Orthodox Jewish women ordained as members of the clergy. The graduation took place at the Ramaz Upper School on East 78th Street. Yeshivat Maharat is the first institution to train Orthodox women as spiritual leaders. The women have all followed the same course training as their male counterparts and have studied the Torah at advanced levels for years.
Sunday was a historical graduation day for the first class of Orthodox Jewish women ordained as members of the clergy. The graduation took place at the Ramaz Upper School on East 78th Street. Yeshivat Maharat is the first institution to train Orthodox women as spiritual leaders. The women have all followed the same course training as their male counterparts and have studied the Torah at advanced levels for years.
Sunday, June 16 2013 4:52 PM EDT2013-06-16 20:52:05 GMT
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a guest speaker at Stanford University’s commencement in Palo Alto, California Sunday. Bloomberg addressed the graduates speaking about immigration reform and said about 30 percent of Stanford’s 5,000 graduates had attended college on student visas. He also mentioned that many of those same students without a way to work in the U.S. legally would have to return to their countries to compete with American companies.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a guest speaker at Stanford University’s commencement in Palo Alto, California Sunday. Bloomberg addressed the graduates speaking about immigration reform and said about 30 percent of Stanford’s 5,000 graduates had attended college on student visas. He also mentioned that many of those same students without a way to work in the U.S. legally would have to return to their countries to compete with American companies.
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