Footage reveals horror moment three-year-old vanishes after being swallowed by manhole while playing
Footage has shown the horrifying moment that a toddler plummeted six-feet down a manhole in the West Midlands.
Dad Steven Pearce could be seen sitting in the garden, warning his daughter not to walk off further than the drain, when seconds later, the child disappears underground.
Steven jumps up from his seat and can be seen running 'faster than Usain Bolt' over to the grid where he begins shouting for his three-year-old daughter, Anastasia.
With utter panic in his voice, he pulls off the lid of the drain fearing that Anastasia was seriously injured.
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Meanwhile, older daughter, Arizona, could be seen watching on in horror.
"The fall could have killed her," said Steven.
"I told her not to go past the drain because of the canal on the other side but she stopped, turned around to look at me, smiled, and carried on.
"I saw her disappear so I ran to her. There was no thought involved because my natural instincts kicked in.
"I would beat Usain Bolt off the starting line the way I ran. I've never ran that fast in my whole life.
"I was in shock. My legs were trembling and they were like jelly. I was petrified."
He continued: "I thought I would be able to lie on my belly and reach down to grab her but I couldn't reach her.
"I climbed down on the metal foot rings but because it was so narrow I couldn't get her up so I had to lift her up on my shoulder and climb out with her like a fireman rescue.
"Arizona was standing at the top of the hole crying while all of this was happening. She thought her little sister was dead.
"[Anastasia] is a tough kid so she he was fine afterwards and carried on playing but I think she was probably still in shock.
"Severn Trent should know better. I've been a builder for 24 years and that drain cover is not sufficient.
"It should be cast iron but it's been a galvanised little wafer thin drain which barely covers the hole.
"That's OK on a 2ft drop, but not a 6ft drop. That's a really, really, bad mistake from them."
Anastasia managed to escape the fall with a swollen knee and a lump on her head, but Steven says water company Severn Trent need to make the covers more secure.
Meanwhile, Anastasia's mum Dani-Leigh Pearce, 32, was 'horrified' when she saw the footage and says the dramatic accident 'could have broken her daughter's neck'.
"I was absolutely horrified when I watched the footage back. I felt sick," she said.
"Luckily I think her age helped her because she was so small she just went right down the centre.
"If it had been her sister, she would have had more chance of hitting her head.
"She was so lucky. It could have been really nasty and from that height she could have broken her neck.
"Thankfully Steven was looking after them and he acted really quickly so I'm just grateful that he was on the ball that day."
The family reported the incident to Severn Trent who fitted a new, permanent cover on Friday, 28 February.
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: "We're very sorry to hear what has happened and we're looking into the circumstances as a priority.
"As the family has started an insurance claim, we're not able to comment further at this time."
LADbible has contacted Severn Trent for comment.
Lucy Devine