German man builds wall, traps himself in cellar

[Metspitzer]

A German DIY enthusiast accidentally walled himself into his own basement and only managed to escape by drilling his way through to his neighbours, police said Thursday.

The 64-year-old pensioner in the eastern town of Gumperda had -- inexplicably -- aimed to seal off the entrance to his cellar and went downstairs armed with bricks, mortar as well as food and drink.

"Whoops, you could say," the police station in nearby Kahla said in a statement. "He was on the wrong side of the wall when his work was finished."

The pensioner, whose name was not released, spent the weekend trapped in the basement but on Monday decided to take action.

Using a drill hammer, he went to work not on his own wall but on the firewall separating his home from his neighbours'.

The neighbours, with whom the pensioner had already been quarrelling for months, called the police when they heard the loud drilling.

Officers were waiting for the hobby handyman when he broke through to the other side.

[Jim Yanik]

Metspitzer wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Worse than painting yourself into a corner! 8-)

a French grandmother trapped herself in her bathroom for almost a month,the door lock broke when she closed it. No windows,no exit,no food,only water. Neighbors dismissed the banging she made as construction work. I read it on Fox News online today. she survived,but had to be hospitalized.

[jeff_wisnia]

Good thing it was a bathroom, it could have gotten nasty in there without a toilet.

Jeff

[Home Guy]

I smell a rat.

Why would someone want to seal off a part of his house?

And bring food and drink?

So as he lays the last few bricks, wouldn't he notice he's on the wrong side - and just remove the bricks from the mortar that hasn't yet hardened?

He spent the weekend trapped in the basement? Perhaps he was waiting for the mortar to set, while he's eating his food and drink?

Naturally, because as we all know, it's easier to drill through two hardened walls vs drilling through a single newly-laid course of bricks.

[Metspitzer]

Yeah. It seemed pretty implausible to me too.

[Molly Brown]

[Earl]

Jim Yanik wrote in news:Xns9E3BA8CB9E39jyaniklocalnetcom@216.168.3.44:

She should have used the SOS tapping sound. Or tapped in the middle of the night to annoy people so someone would investigate.

[Earl]

Metspitzer wrote in news: [e-mail]:

It could have been one of those weirdos who build secret rooms to abduct people and keep them secret for years.

[ransley]

Maybe its possible, and there is good reason the neighbors argue , he is nuts, maybe he broke down their wall because he didnt want to damage his, and he had to much booze down there.

[Nate Nagel]

for the love of God, Montresor!

nate

[Country]

Exactly what I was thinking. There's got to be more to the story.

-C-

[Bob Villa]

I don't see any connection...?

[Harry K]

Yep. I lived over there for 6 years (two 3 year tours) Those dividing/fire walls are _thick_. A freshly laid brick wall could have been pushed down with a bit of effort. I've BTDT with masonry (amateurly) and destroyed both brick and concrete walls/foundation with sledge hammer, drilled holes in them using single jack, 3/8" hammer drills, and the big electric drills you rent (damn senior momens, can't recall the real name). None of it is easy and those cops would have gotten _very_ tired waiting for him to come through.

Harry K

[Michael B]

Thinking of a demolition hammer, or chipping hammer? Looks like a drill body on steroids, but the tool looks like a big chisel?

[HeyBub]

Could have been another Cask of Amontillado.

Fortunato wails "For the love of God, Montresor!" Montresor replies, "Yes, for the love of God!"

[Harry K]

rills, and the big electric drills you rent (damn senior

"Rotary Hammer" is the term I was trying for :). Those senior moments are becoming more like minutes at my age.

Harry K

[dumbstruck]

When the Russians were invading Berlin, it was mandatory to create passageways between neighboring basements for defensive purposes.