NJ mom jumps into manhole to save sinking toddler

NEW JERSEY - A mother in New Jersey saved her child after the boy fell through an open manhole and into several feet of water, fire officials said.

The two-year-old child was playing in Kawameeh Park in Union at about 10:45 a.m. Thursday when the mother lost sight of him.  She ran over to the opening and saw the boy was beginning to sink into the sewer.  

The mother called 911 but decided to jump about seven feet down the hole and grab the boy who was in about two feet of water.

"She put down the phone, jumped into the manhole, and was able to reach him before she got to a part that was too small for her to get into," said Union Firefighter Anthony Schmidtberg. "She managed to pull them both out of the sewer right before we arrived."

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The child was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

It was unclear why the cover had been removed.  It is now back over the hole.