Canley Vale hoarder rescued from home after items collapsed on her

A hoarder has been pulled from a window after becoming trapped under piles of rubbish, including women’s magazines from the late 90s, that had collapsed onto her inside her western Sydney home.

Women’s magazines from the late 90s were among piles of rubbish pulled from the western Sydney home of an injured hoarder so emergency crews could get her out the window.
The woman was trapped for more than 14 hours after rubble inside the small brick home in Canley Vale is believed to have fallen on her around 10pm last night.
Neighbours said the woman’s worried husband John, who would sleep in a car outside the home, came asking to borrow a phone this morning.

The woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries. Picture: TNV

Neighbours said the woman’s husband had been sleeping in a car outside the home. Picture: Nick Hansen

“He called the police … we thought she was dead but no she was alive,” Gary Bhurra, who lived opposite the house said.
“(Crews) tried to open the door, it was open, but they couldn’t get inside because of the stuff.”
NSW Fire and Rescue arrived around 10am and began pulling out a large mound of bags and boxes from inside the house.

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Once they gained access through the side window the crews used hydraulic equipment to move the rubbish and get the injured woman out. She was freed from the house and transported to Liverpool Hospital with a minor injury to her leg just after 12pm.

Piles of rubbish inside the Canley Vale home. Picture: Nick Hansen

The woman had been trapped for 12 hours. Picture: TNV

Neighbours described the couple as “very nice”. Picture: TNV

Among the garbage was an October 5, 1998 edition of Women’s Day and wrappers for a Mars Bar and Tim Tam which expired 21 years ago. Mr Bhurra said the entire year he had lived opposite the house John lived out of a white sedan parked on the front lawn. He said the woman went to work every morning and John would often appear standing, neatly dressed, outside the home.
Another neighbour said the couple moved into the house in the late 1970s.
“They had a break in about 20 years ago and went over there to help out … there was only two or three feet to walk through,” the man said.
“I said to her then ‘this is a dangerous, this is a fire hazard’.
“Ironic isn’t it, a hoarder being (crushed) by her own hoard.”
Another neighbour said the couple had two daughters and a grandchild.
“(They were) very nice, good people, no trouble,” the woman said.

Originally published as Canley Vale hoarder rescued from home after items collapsed on her