BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 9-year-old western New York girl who broke her ankle after falling through an open manhole into the sewer 12 feet below yelled for help for an hour before a passer-by heard her.

Capt. Daniel O’Leary of the Buffalo Fire Department tells WKBW-TV the girl was trapped in a foot of rushing water after falling through the open hole while walking to school in Buffalo around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.

He says crews lowered a ladder, and she was able to climb out.

It’s unknown why the hole was not covered. A spokesman for the city says crews weren’t doing sewer work in the area.