A man was rescued after falling into the holding tank of a vault toilet at Camp Edison in Shaver Lake, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

The incident was reported around 2:15 p.m. Saturday when authorities received a call that someone inside a restroom at the campground needed help. Deputies and CalFire firefighters responded and found a man trapped inside the holding tank beneath a vault toilet, a restroom facility that operates without plumbing.

A translator assisted responders because the man spoke only Spanish. Authorities learned the man had dropped his sunglasses into the toilet’s chemical solution and fell several feet into the tank while attempting to retrieve them.

The man spent about 15 minutes inside the tank before deputies and firefighters pulled him to safety.

Because he had been exposed to urine, fecal matter and chemicals, the man underwent a decontamination process. Authorities said he was otherwise unharmed and was able to walk away from the scene.

The sheriff’s office reminded the public never to reach into a vault toilet tank to retrieve dropped items, warning that the depth of the enclosure, and exposure to chemicals can create life-threatening conditions.

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