Trapped in a Bathtub for Nine Days, 82-Year-Old Woman Survived With Faith, Determination, and One Remarkable Idea

July 9, 2026

For nine unimaginable days, 82-year-old Joan Rivet lay trapped in her bathtub, completely alone. Instead of giving up, she relied on her faith, her determination, and an ingenious way to stay alive until rescuers finally found her.

Joan Rivet / Credit: The Mountaineer

The North Carolina woman was getting ready for bed on June 1 when one backward step changed everything.

She fell into her bathtub, bringing the shower curtain and rod down with her. The fall injured her back, leaving her unable to climb over the side of the tub. Her phone was outside the bathroom, along with her cat, Phoebe.

"My first thought was, 'Oh my goodness, what did I do?'" Rivet told The Mountaineer. "Then already in my mind, I'm thinking I've got to figure out how to get out of this tub."

She spent hours trying every way she could think of to escape or call for help. Nothing worked.

As the days passed, Rivet drifted in and out of consciousness. She watched daylight turn into darkness and back again until she completely lost track of time.

"I'd see it get dark and lighter, dark and lighter. I lost track, to be honest, of the days," she said.

One of her biggest challenges quickly became finding water. The faucet was too far away to reach with her hands, but eventually she discovered she could turn the handle using her foot. Then she splashed water toward her face so she could drink enough to survive.

The pain was relentless.

"There were times I was crying out and I said, 'Lord, help, help, help release the pain,'" Rivet said.

Just outside the bathroom door, Phoebe stayed close, meowing as if trying to call for help alongside her owner. But Rivet's home sits on a mountain, and no neighbors could hear them.

The breakthrough finally came because someone refused to ignore a nagging feeling.

Rivet's brother, Bill Lesko, lives about five hours away in Georgia and calls his sister every week. After several days of unanswered phone calls, he knew something was wrong. Neighbors confirmed that Rivet's car was still in the driveway but saw no signs of activity. Lesko then asked the Haywood County Sheriff's Office to perform a wellness check.

On June 10, deputies found Rivet semi conscious in the bathtub and rushed her to the hospital.

She had gone nine days without food, was severely dehydrated, and had developed bed sores from lying in one position. Doctors treated her with IV fluids and a liquid diet before she was transferred to a rehabilitation center, where she is now rebuilding her strength through physical therapy.

Despite everything she endured, Rivet's outlook remains remarkably positive.

"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 said with a smile. "I'm still regaining my energy, still regaining confidence. Doing what I can do, and believing in myself."

Throughout the ordeal, Rivet says she never lost hope.

"I hadn't given up," she said. "I kept thinking, 'Lord, how do I get out of here? Show me how to get out here.'"

Looking back, she believes her faith carried her through the darkest moments.

"I spent a lot of time praying... and thanking the Lord that I was still alive," she said. "I think I stayed away from the dark side of the whole situation because once you go down there, how do you get out?"

The experience has strengthened her faith even more.

"It's encouraged me to believe that God is greater than I thought He was," Rivet said. "There's nothing my God can't do. And He has said, 'Joan, we'll get through this together, you wait and see.'"

Rivet's neighbors have now made a promise to check on one another more intentionally, especially those who live alone.

Her longtime friend, Pam Carter, hopes others will take two lessons from Rivet's incredible survival story: the importance of looking out for one another and never losing hope.

"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 said.