A SYDNEY man has survived the terrifying ordeal of being sucked down a seawater pipe and spat out on a beach, because of a council worker's bungle.
Allan Baillie was swimming laps at Bilgola Beach rock pool with his wife on Monday when a Pittwater Council worker opened a valve to drain the pool for cleaning.
The worker, standing on the edge of the pool, appeared to be trying to tell Mr Baillie something.
''As I swam closer to hear what he was saying, I suddenly felt this pressure, this incredible pull,'' he said. ''In an instant I was then sucked feet first inside the pipe. I instinctively thought 'I'll never survive this - there'll be something clogging the end' but in a matter of seconds I found myself dumped on the beach.''
Pittwater lifeguard supervisor Phil Dunn was first on the scene and arrived to find ''a man lying beside the outlet pipe with blood absolutely everywhere''.
Mr Dunn's initial reaction was that Mr Baillie had been injured on rocks but when the truth emerged, he turned to the council worker and said: ''You actually mean to tell me you opened up the valve while people were still in the pool?''
Mr Dunn said it was ''a clear breakdown in procedure and one you'd automatically imagine to be fatal. The circumference of the pipe is smaller than Mr Baillie's body but fortunately the sheer pressure has seen him pop straight out like a wine cork.''
He described the pipe as ''completely rusted'' and '''full of shellfish and other marine growth''.
''It's one of the most unhealthy places you could ever have the misfortune to visit,'' he said.
As a result, Mr Baillie suffered deep cuts and multiple abrasions all over his body. An award-winning author, he has been recuperating at his Avalon home and intends to seek compensation. ''There should be a clear sign saying the area is closed for cleaning and, certainly, there should never be anyone in the pool whilst they're doing it,'' he said.
Pittwater Council general manager Mark Ferguson acknowledged it was ''very lucky'' Mr Baillie was not killed and accepted responsibility.
''The guys closed the pool but, contrary to guidelines, they didn't get everyone out of the pool because there's been a practice of letting people finish their laps.''
(And if you thought that will hurt....just imagine the hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing brush to clean out the cuts)
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Originally Posted by Fatt Max
don't even want to think about it, poor bloke...
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