82-Year-Old Woman Survives Nine Days Trapped in Bathtub
July 9, 2026
At the age of 82, Joan Rivet found herself in an unimaginable situation, trapped in her bathtub for nine days. Her resilience, faith, and a clever method for accessing water enabled her to survive until help arrived.
Joan Rivet / Credit: The Mountaineer
On June 1, in North Carolina, Rivet was preparing for bed when a backward step led to a fall that would trap her. She landed in the bathtub, bringing down the shower curtain and rod. This accident injured her back and left her unable to exit the tub. Her phone was out of reach, and her only company was her cat, Phoebe, outside the bathroom.
Rivet recounted to The Mountaineer, “My first thought was, ‘Oh my goodness, what did I do?'” As the hours turned into days, her attempts to escape or call for help proved futile. With time, she lost track of days, as she noted, “I’d see it get dark and lighter, dark and lighter. I lost track, to be honest, of the days.”
Finding water became crucial for her survival. Although the faucet was initially beyond her reach, she ingeniously used her foot to turn the handle and splash water to drink. Despite the pain and isolation, she found solace in prayer. “There were times I was crying out and I said, ‘Lord, help, help, help release the pain,'” she expressed.
Meanwhile, Phoebe, her cat, stayed by the bathroom door, meowing in apparent attempts to alert someone. However, the isolation of Rivet’s mountain home meant no one could hear them. The breakthrough came when Rivet’s brother, Bill Lesko, who lives in Georgia, noticed her absence after several unanswered calls. Concerned, he reached out to local authorities for a wellness check.
Deputies discovered a semi-conscious Rivet on June 10 and rushed her to the hospital. After nine days without food and suffering severe dehydration and bed sores, she received treatment with IV fluids and a liquid diet. She is now recovering in a rehabilitation center, focusing on physical therapy to regain strength.
Rivet’s positivity remains unwavering. “I’m warm, I’m dry. I had a shower this morning. Hallelujah. They washed my hair. I’ve had food and water. I’m content,” she shared with a smile. Her faith played a pivotal role throughout the ordeal. “I hadn’t given up. I kept thinking, ‘Lord, how do I get out of here? Show me how to get out here.'”
This experience has deepened her faith. “I spent a lot of time praying… and thanking the Lord that I was still alive,” she stated. Rivet now believes, “It’s encouraged me to believe that God is greater than I thought He was. There’s nothing my God can’t do.”
The incident has prompted her neighbors to be more vigilant about checking on each other, especially those living alone. Pam Carter, a longtime friend, hopes Rivet’s story inspires others to maintain hope and support one another. “It gives people hope that they can go through something like this and come out of it with a better outlook on life, a stronger faith, and whatever comes along with it,” Carter remarked.
