Joan Rivet, an 82-year-old widow living alone in Clyde, North Carolina, survived being trapped in her bathtub for nine days after a fall. She managed to turn on the faucet with her foot and drink water she splashed to her face while drifting in and out of consciousness.

Rivet shared her survival story with North Carolina’s The Mountaineer newspaper from a physical rehabilitation facility, saying that prayer comforted her during the ordeal. "I stayed away from the dark side of the whole situation because once you go down there – how do you get out?" she told the outlet.

Sheriff Bill Wilke of Haywood County confirmed that deputies found Rivet on June 10 after her brother, Bill Lesko, who lives in Georgia, called authorities to check on her wellbeing. Lesko became concerned when Rivet, who lives about five hours away, had not returned his weekly calls.

The Mountaineer reported that the faucet was at the far end of the tub, making it impossible for Rivet to grasp with her hands, which led her to use her foot to turn it on.

Rivet said she did not remember first responders bringing her to the hospital after the rescue.

Falls among older Americans are a significant health concern, with millions affected annually according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Such incidents inspired the LifeAlert medical alarm commercials in the 1980s, popularizing the phrase "I've fallen – and I can't get up."

In a related note, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, 84, recently disclosed that a fall led to his hospitalization on June 14, which had kept him out of the public eye for weeks.

Sources