Toddler Aaaron falls into gaping hole in garden (From Echo)

Toddler Aaaron falls into massive hole in garden in Basildon

11:30pm Wednesday 4th July 2012 in News

A MUM and dad had the shock of their life when their todder disappeared into a massive hole in their garden.

Little Aaron Dumoulin, two, had been digging in a flower patch with his bucket and spade.

However, budding gardening got a little more dirt than he bargained for after the ground gave way beneath him, sending him hurtling into a five-foot hole.

The flower patch appeared to have been disguising an old manhole beneath the surface.

His dad David, 36 of Latimer Drive, Basildon said: “He was happily playing in the garden with his bucket and spade and then suddenly he just disappeared into the earth.

“My wife started screaming frantically and ran out into the garden and I didn’t realise at first what was going on.

“We ran over to the hole and our son was in there, he was covered in dirt and was trying to scream, but he had a mouth full of soil.

“It’s lucky my wife saw what happened because he couldn’t scream.

“I dragged him out and he was OK, but traumatised.

“Thankfully he wasn’t hurt as the manhole cover had eroded away and there were all sharp metal edges, which he could have caught himself on.

“Also he was lucky it wasn’t full of water due to the bad weather. It could have been so much worse.”

Mr Dumoulin said he is now trying to get to the bottom of why his garden has the massive hole.

He has spoken with several neighbours who believe other homes in the road may have a similar hole.

The dad added: “We have spoken to the water and sewage companies, but no-one seems to know why the hole is there.

“We will be keeping Aaron in until we can get a new cover for the hole as we don’t want him to have to go through that again.

“I want other people to be aware that if they have a flower patch in their garden, it could also be hiding a big dangerous hole like ours.”