Two-Year- Old Falls In Sinkhole, Saved by Pants Leg

HAYWOOD COUNTY, Tenn.- One West Tennessee family saves their two-year-old child from a being swallowed by a massive sinkhole in Stanton, Thursday.

Haywood County deputies told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News the toddler slipped in and fell into an open sinkhole around 5 o'clock on Circle Drive in Stanton, TN. Family members said the toddler was outside playing with her mother before she fell catching her pant's leg onto the concrete.

"I have a bad heart so you can imagine how I felt. I was crying, I couldn't remember any numbers... we just moved over here about 5 or 6 months ago and we didn't know this hole was here," said grandmother Regina Williamson.

The child's mother told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News that she found her daughter half way into the hole, dangling by her pants. Officials said they believe the hole was around 5 to 7 feet deep and 10 feet wide underground.

"She was bringing out her Christmas boxes and stuff and she looked back and half of her was gone and her pants leg was holding her to keep her from falling to the bottom... I was afraid, I thought I had lost her," said Williamson.

The two-year old's mother said she was able to unhook her daughter's pants leg from the concrete side wall and pull her back up to safety before emergency responders arrived. Officials said if the child had dropped to the bottom of the sinkhole, their rescue efforts would have been difficult since the above ground is unstable.

"It would have killed her but thank God she's still with us its a blessing, it's a Christmas miracle. Miracles can still happen even though Christmas is gone... it's a blessing that she is still here with us right now because that is a very deep hole," said Williamson.

The toddler's mother tells us her daughter suffered minor cuts and scratches to her legs from the fall. After she was pulled out, family members said the little girl was walking with a limp. The mother and grandmother said they plan to take her to the doctors to make sure she is okay. Haywood County officials blocked off the sinkhole with tape and said they plan to have it fixed as soon as possible.  WBBJTV