A UNIVERSITY of Cambridge academic who was trapped in the bathroom of a medieval tower for seven hours said she took inspiration from TV show MacGyver to make her escape and used some common pharmacy products to get out.
Krisztina Ilko, 33, who resides in the rooms once occupied by 16th Century philosopher Desiderius Erasmus at Queens College, said she heard the heavy wooden door in the windowless bathroom lock behind her.
Ilko, who suspects the door's latch had been broken by a plumber who recently worked on her shower, said she found herself locked inside the room last Thu and it wasn't due to be cleaned until Mon.
"I was trying to remember how long a person can survive on just water and hoping that I wouldn't die there," Ilko told BBC News.
She said her initial attempts to escape proved fruitless.
Ilko said she then took inspiration from her childhood love of MacGyver, a show where the titular hero was known for his ability to turn everyday objects into useful tools, to mount her escape.
Ilko used a cotton swab to fashion a hook and an eyeliner pencil to push down on the latch so she could pick the lock.
The method freed the post-doctoral student from the bathroom after seven hours.
"I was really happy and also quite proud that I could use my wits to get out."
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