Man falls down drain after cover comes loose
Ricky Godfrey has used the same route every day, but on Friday 17 he ended up falling down the drain in Fifers Lane. - Credit: Ricky Godfrey
A Norwich man strolling home from a long shift got a shock after plunging down a drain and being stuck up to his hip.
Ricky Godfrey, 42, has lived in Hellesdon since April 2021.
The HGV driver was walking home after a night shift at 7am on Friday, June 17 when the incident occurred.
He was walking his daily route along Fifers Lane when he had to walk on the edge of the path.
Ricky Godfrey now has purple bruises on his left leg and his right knee is bruised. - Credit: Ricky Godfrey
Ricky explained: “The path along Fifers Lane is really overgrown so I had no choice but to walk close to the curb. I do it every day.
“As I stepped on what I realised was a drain cover it flicked up and I fell down it.”
Ricky said having walked the route often and with care he had never noticed anything "unusual" about the cover.
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He added: "It was sitting flat and looked completely normal."
Ricky Godfrey, 42, was left bruised after falling down the drain in Fifer's Lane. - Credit: Ricky Godfrey
He said: “I did hurt myself. My leg has purple bruises right up to my thigh on my left leg and my right knee is bruised.
“I ended up down the drain almost to my hip and I landed with my other knee in the road.”
Ricky said that around four cars went around him while he had his leg stuck down the drain but nobody stopped to help him.
He said: “I just wanted to put it on social media as soon as I could because I didn’t want anyone else to fall down it.
"That path sees heavy foot traffic due to it running between Hellesdon and Catton.”
The drain hadn’t been tampered with but it appears it was broken.
Shelagh Gurney, county councillor for Hellesdon - Credit: Norfolk County Council
Ricky added: “That particular drain cover has a hinge but it had come off the hinger so as I stood on it, it just went through.
“It has since been fixed.
"I went back and stood on it but it didn’t go through, though I will definitely ensure I am more cautious from now on.”
Shelagh Gurney (Cons), Hellesdon district councillor, said: “As soon as I knew the exact location of the drain in Fifers Lane I was able to obtain the assistance of a very pleasant highways officer to arrange repair.”
