A two-year-old boy survived a terrifying five-foot fall into a cesspit filled with sewage water after incredible quick thinking from his mum.

After picking her two young children up from school Christine Saul pulled into the drive on Sheepridge Lane but when her youngest son exited the car and ran over a manhole cover it collapsed.

Young Bertie Saul plummeted down into the cesspit, used for the disposal of liquid waste and sewage of several homes in the area.

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When Christine poked her head over the hole she saw Bertie floating on his back screaming “mama mama”.

She dialled 999 immediately but with bad service, she ran onto the nearby road to flag down ongoing traffic.

When she returned to the pit Bertie had gone.

She decided to jump in after him, when she dropped to the bottom she heard her son splashing around in the corner.

Bertie was struggling in the water but Christine was able to find him in the darkness and drag him back to the middle of the pit.

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Christine said: “It was horrific, I thought he had gone and I thought he had drowned.

“So I was so elated when he was okay, he was spluttering, shuddering and freezing because it was so cold.”

Passersby Jodie Beale and her mum, Wendy helped pull Bertie up by dangling down into the cesspit to reach the young boy who was being lifted by Christine.

Josie Beale said: “I looked down the drain and saw these two faces looking up at me.

“I couldn’t comprehend what was going on, as the last thing you expect to see is a mother and a child down a drain covered in dirt.

“Bertie was screaming the whole time.

“We got him out and started taking off his soaked clothes and wrapping him in warm and dry jumpers.”

Christine was then rescued by a pair of father and son plumbers, Guy and Bradley Simmonds, who were stopped down on their way home from work.

Guy said: “I would have thought anyone would have done the same thing.

“It was just relief that they both got out okay.

“She burst into tears when she got out because the shock obviously caught in.

“It was fortunate we had the ladder in the back of the van.

“I think it is bad that they haven’t got ladders in them to help you get out because there is no way she would have got out of there with no one to help.

“It’s amazing how many people have died in similar incidents. It’s frightening really.

“It isn’t much of manhole cover that is protecting you from it.

“She was very fortunate really and it was good she had to sense to flag someone down before she jumped in to save otherwise it could have been much worst.”

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Both were taken to the hospital and given antibiotics following the amount of sewage water they swallowed during the ordeal.

Christine’s eldest son, Toby Saul, has been left having nightmares and Bertie blurts out “no more water” each time they pull into the drive.

The physical injuries were only minor leaving Christine incredibly thankful.

Christine added: “I can’t tell you have grateful I am to everyone for saving my son and me. They were incredible.

“If you google it a lot of children have died from falling into a cesspit and we couldn’t find any that have survived so we are incredibly lucky that these people came along.”

Bertie, however, has since bravely returned to the water following advice from his swimming teacher to return as soon as possible despite the near-death experience.

The family is still looking for the first couple that stopped and helped flag down other drivers whilst ringing 999. Do you know who they are? Let us know by emailing robert.folker@newsquest.co.uk.