A woman was stuck underground for three hours after falling into a septic tank behind a home in Mullica Township, New Jersey Thursday, authorities said.



The 57-year-old woman fell about 10 feet into the sewage tank in the yard of a home along Nesco Road, authorities said. The opening is 30 inches in diameter.

Firefighters were called in from Atlantic City — some 30 miles away — to assist in the prolonged rescue. They used a ladder truck to lift the woman from the tank on a backboard.

Officials said the woman suffered severe back pain in the fall, but her injuries did not appear to be life threatening. She was flown to Atlanticare Regional Medical Center by medical helicopter.