Backyard sinkhole 'swallows' Vic woman

A woman has fallen into a three-metre sinkhole while hanging out washing in a Melbourne backyard.

She had to swim to stay afloat in the sinkhole.

The 45-year-old woman was hanging clothes in the Springvale South backyard when the ground gave way on Tuesday.

She fell three metres into the grass sinkhole, which was part-filled with water.

Paramedic Stephanie Palamberis said the woman's head went under the waist-deep water at one stage and she was forced to swim because she couldn't touch the bottom.

"She fell with the dirt and mud, dropping about three metres and landing in waist-deep water," she said.

"The woman told us she couldn't touch the bottom of the hole, so was trying to swim and stay afloat, to avoid the risk of further mud collapses."

Specialist firefighting equipment was used to pull the woman from the hole, about 10 minutes after authorities arrived after being alerted by neighbours who heard the woman's screams.

The woman was not injured and there was no damage to surrounding buildings.