Shocking footage emerged Monday of a woman being rescued after being found naked, trapped and with her legs bound together inside a Florida sewage drain
The bizarre incident, which occurred Friday in Fort Myers, is the second of its kind to occur in the Sunshine State this year
NBC 2 obtained video showing the woman's dramatic rescue, after a driving passerby spotted her before calling Fort Myers police upon finding her
Fire crews had to use special tools to remove the massive drain cover and rescue the woman, who was then taken to an area hospital for evaluation
Police told the outlet that the woman, who's legs had been bound with a strap-like material, had been staying at a nearby Travelodge motel
Another woman was discovered naked and trapped inside a sewage drain in Delray Beach in March, however cops say the two cases are not connected
Shocking video footage emerged Monday of a woman being rescued after being found naked, trapped and with her legs bound together inside a Florida sewage drain.
NBC 2 obtained video showing the woman's dramatic rescue last Friday, after a passerby in the parking lot of a Fort Myers restaurant heard her yelling for help before calling police upon finding her.
Fire crews had to use special tools to remove the massive drain cover and rescue the woman, who was then taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
The incident occurred by the Burlington Coat Factory and Indian Grill on 4724 South Cleveland Avenue, according to authorities.
Police told the outlet that the woman, who's legs had been bound with a strap-like material, had been staying at a nearby Travelodge motel.
The woman told authorities she had no idea how she ended up in the drain in the first place. It's still unclear how long she had been trapped in the sewage drain before being discovered and rescued.
Pictured: a screenshot of the surveillance video footage from Friday night, where a woman was found naked, trapped, with her legs tied together in a Fort Myers sewage drain
Emergency personnel arrive on scene after a passerby heard the woman's calls for help. The man called authorities, who had to use special tools to remove the massive drain cover
Fort Myers police have since reviewed three days worth of surveillance camera footage from the parking lot, but said nothing in those three days showed her entering or being placed into the drain.
'Someone doesn't just bound themselves and climb in there,' said witness Tim Brown, who's also staying at the same Travelodge motel.
'I've got my girlfriend staying with me and I wouldn't want her go out alone now.'
'It's scary,' he added.
Now, officials are asking the public's help in determining how the woman got trapped in the sewage drain.
Crews removed a grate to access the drain for the March 2021 rescue, and used a ladder and a harness to raise the woman to ground level as a small crowd cheered
Pictured: the eight-foot deep sewage drain where a woman was found naked and trapped in Delray Beach back in March 2021
In March, a different woman, who had been missing for several weeks, turned up in an eight-feet deep sewage drain, local authorities said.
Firefighters pulled the unidentified female, believed to be in her 40s, from below the sidewalk in Delray Beach after a pedestrian heard cries for help.
It is unclear how long she was stuck there.
'She was lucky,' Delray Beach Fire Rescue spokeswoman Dani Moschella told the Sun Sentinel of the missing woman rescued in March.
'I don’t know how much longer she would have been OK down there. The idea that somebody might be down there for any length of time is disturbing.
Cops confirmed that she was reported missing from Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on March 3, but it's not clear when she went into the drain or why she was naked
A naked woman has been rescued from a storm drain in Florida, weeks after she was reported missing
Cops confirmed that she was reported missing from Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on March 3.
While an investigation into Friday's incident remains ongoing, authorities in Delray Beach do not believe the two cases are connected, stating that the woman found in March appeared to have entered the drain on her own free will.
Delray Beach Police spokesman Ted White: 'From the police department standpoint, we don’t believe there was any type of crime committed.
'It doesn’t feel like she was taken against her will. It appears this was done by her own free will.
Police are asking anyone with information regarding Friday night's incident to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477). Tips may also be made online at southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com or on the P3 Tips mobile app.
