A man fell into a sinkhole and was swarmed by so many rats he refused to scream for help.
33-year-old Leonard Shoulders was waiting for a bus when the sidewalk he was stepping on suddenly gave up and he fell 15ft into the sinkhole.
His mother, Cindy White, told NBC New York: “It could have been anyone. It could have been anyone it was a whole scary situation. It was my son and thank God he’s alive.”
“He went down feet first,” the mother continued. “He was just standing and the sidewalk just — It was like a suction. Like a sinkhole. He just went down.
“He is traumatized. He said he went straight down. He said he was just falling, falling. But the debris was falling and hitting him in the head.”
Leonard was swarmed by so many rats that he refused to scream, fearing the rodents would enter his mouth.
“He was like, ‘Ma, the rats down there were ridiculous.’ He was like, they were like so big.’ He was scared to yell out because he thought they were gonna go in his mouth.”
After almost thirty minutes of waiting, police, and firefighters finally arrived to pull him up.
The Department of Buildings said: “Potential enforcement actions are pending the results of that investigation.
“The Full Vacate Order is still in effect, and a construction fence has been erected around the building in the interest of public safety.”
One person commented: “I would be worried that the rats would decide I was lunch and start munching away.”
Another wrote: “Screaming may have caused the rats to think they were under attack & started attacking him like crazy.”
A third added: “OMG! That sounds absolutely horrific. Glad he survived the fall – that must have been terrifying – buy the rats are the bit that are freaking me out. Wishing him a full and fast recovery.”
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