Stuck fast: Passersby had to call emergency services after realising Ella Birchenough was wedged (Picture: PA)

There’s an element of schadenfreude about enjoying these pictures.

However – if we’re really honest – a tiny part of us also wonders if we might do the same.

We all love our iPhones. This girl liked hers so much she went into a storm drain to retrieve it – and got stuck.

Teenager Ella Birchenough had to be rescued by firefighters after she squeezed into the tiny hole in an attempt to recover her iPhone 5.


The teenager thought using her toes was the best way to retrieve her iPhone 5 from the drain (Picture: PA)

The 16-year-old went to put her phone in her pocket but was horrified when it fell into a drain in Dover, Kent.

She then went into the drain legs-first in a bid to fish out the phone with her feet but fast became wedged.



Witness Tim Richards said: ‘It’s not the type of thing you see every day. It was pretty weird. She was more concerned about getting her phone back rather than getting herself out of the drain.’

Mr Richards said at one point the teenager managed to inch herself out – but promptly went back in before becoming ‘completely stuck’.

Ella after her rescue… she probably wanted a shower by this point (Picture: PA)

He added: ‘We tried to pull her out a couple of times but it wasn’t happening. She was quite calm and relaxed and saw the funny side of it.

‘The drain was no more than a foot-and-a-half both ways. How she thought she was going to get her phone, I have no idea.’

Ella’s efforts proved to be in vain as the phone is now broken.

She told KentOnline: ‘When they pulled me out I ran straight home and jumped in the bath. I think it was just water but I wasn’t taking any chances.’

Luckily everyone saw the funny side, including Ella’s mother who – according to one report – even started taking pictures of her daughter.