A Cambridge University academic has shared how she solved the puzzle of being trapped in a medieval tower bathroom and escaped using a cotton bud and eyeliner.
Dr Krisztina Ilko is lodged in the Queens College rooms of the 16th-century philosopher, Erasmus, which has a medieval tower with a toilet with no windows and thick walls.
The academic realised one day that she was unable to exit the convenience after she believed workmen might have disabled the latch.
It was Thursday, February 22 when she became stuck, and to her horror, Dr Ilko realised a cleaner was not due to come until the following Monday.
Recounting her ordeal on X, formerly known as Twitter, she wrote: “The plumber broke the lock in the bathroom and forgot to tell me.
“I went in, got locked in. The door is solid wood and wouldn’t break. I was stuck for seven hours (I thought I’d be there for days, as no one could hear). Finally, handpicked the lock with an eyeliner and an ear pick.”
Dr Ilko’s tale of resourcefulness struck a chord on social media and more than 300,000 people have now viewed her post.
The 33-year-old told BBC News: “I was trying to remember how long a person can survive on just water and hoping that I wouldn’t die there. If people came looking for me would they check the bathroom, or would I have to wait for Monday.
“I tried to bang the shower head on the door, break it with brute force, and shout for help but nothing worked and no-one could hear me.”
Luckily, Dr Ilko was able to pick the lock and escape from her makeshift confinement. Giving an insight into her thought process when she was working how to escape, Dr Ilko said she was a fan of the American TV series, MacGyver.
In the show the main character Angus “Mac” MacGyver plays a genius who works for a secret organisation fighting crime and evil by solving problems with his superior brain power.
Dr Ilko wrote: “Watching all those MacGyver episodes clearly paid off.”
