Elderly woman impaled in tub for six hours
Thursday, March 3, 2005 Posted: 12:39 PM EST (1739 GMT)



NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A 92-year-old Harlem woman who fell in her bathtub became impaled on the cold water tap and screamed for help for more than six hours before she was rescued, the fire department said.

After falling Wednesday, Thelma Riley banged on walls and shouted for help for hours, said Lt. James McCluskey. "The neighbors at first thought it was a plumber," he said.

Neighbors finally used a key to get into the apartment, finding Riley with the four-pronged knob stuck in her lower back, the Daily News reported.

Firefighters cut the metal tap with bolt cutters and took her to Harlem Hospital where it was removed. "It was in there pretty good," McCluskey said.

Riley was resting at the Harlem Hospital Thursday.

OUCH! Glad she's okay.

Poor woman is right. I hate the thought of her in such pain and distress for all those hours. I'm really glad she lived to tell about it.

That is sad but I'm glad she's okay.

Owww, poor thing. Glad she's alright.

A few years ago I read about an elderly woman who fell through a rotten floor board in her house and her leg was caught in the floor for almost a week before anybody came. Scary! :eek:

oh wow... poor woman doesn't even justify it. that's aweful! at least she's OK

thank God she's okay

Oh my God. :crying: That's horrible. I'm glad she's okay.