Moment woman walking her dog takes terrifying plunge down manhole in Brazil

Published: 12:55, 23 May 2026 | Updated: 12:56, 23 May 2026 This is the moment a woman walking her dog in Brazil took a terrifying plunge down a manhole after a loose cover gave way.  Juliana Mara Schiel, 21, was captured on CCTV suddenly disappearing from the footpath while out walking with her dog, Pitu, on Sunday evening. Footage shows a paving slab - which is identical to the others around it - giving way as Ms Schiel stepped on it before swallowing her up.   The incident, which occurred in Cuiabá, central Brazil, saw Pitu left alone on the pavement barking in distress.  Ms Schiel soon began calling for help after realising she was injured and was eventually attended to by passers-by.  Speaking to local press, she said: 'It didn't feel real. I was really confused. The first thing I did when I managed to grab my phone was call my mum. 'I think I was there for about two or three minutes before help arrived, but it all happened very quickly.'  In the fall, Ms Schiel broke some of her teeth and was taken to hospital where she received stitches to her mouth and chin.  Juliana Mara Schiel took a terrifying plunge down a manhole after a loose cover gave way while she was walking her dog, Pitu CCTV footage shows a paving slab giving way as Ms Schiel stepped on it, before swallowing her up In the fall, Ms Schiel  (pictured) broke some of her teeth and was taken to hospital where she received stitches to her mouth and chin She is currently eating only soft, cold foods while she recovers from her mouth injuries.  She said: 'My shoulder still hurts quite a lot. I also twisted my ankle and ended up covered in scrapes and bruises all over my body.'  Ms Schiel went onto praise Pitu for her role in rescuing her, saying: 'I think she helped people notice because she was on a lead and stayed close by.' And despite the ordeal, Ms Schiel added that she considers herself lucky. She said: 'When I watched the video afterwards, I thought it could have been much worse. 'If it had been a child or an elderly person, the consequences might have been even more serious.' Cuiabá's Department of Infrastructure and Public Works has since released a statement following the incident. It said: 'To ensure the safety of pedestrians and drivers, the area will be properly signposted on Monday (18 May) afternoon. 'Between 2025 and 2026, around 500 manhole covers have already been replaced or reinstalled by the municipality, most of them due to structural damage and breakage.' The manhole in Cuiaba, Brazil where Ms Schiel fell on Sunday evening No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.