Accidents involving children falling into wells or deep holes have occurred in many parts of the world, and the efforts to rescue these kids always leave us on edge.
In the United States, a globally publicized event involved 18-month-old Jessica McClure, who was rescued after being trapped for 58 hours in an abandoned well in Midland, Texas.
The tragedy unfolded on the morning of October 14, 1987, when McClure fell into a deserted well while playing with other children in the backyard of her aunt’s house. After falling nearly 7 meters down the well, the little girl became stuck.
For the next 2.5 days, teams of rescuers, mining experts, and local volunteers worked around the clock to drill a hole parallel to the well where McClure was trapped.
They then excavated a tunnel through dense rock to connect the well to the newly drilled hole. A microphone was lowered into the well to monitor the toddler, allowing them to hear her cries, babbling, and even singing.
On the night of October 16, 1987, Jessica was safely brought out of the well. Fortunately, she was alert and lively. The rescue was broadcast live on television to a vast audience.
After being rescued, McClure spent over a month in the hospital and lost a toe due to necrosis.
Rescue teams work to reach a 5-year-old boy trapped in a well in the northern hill town of Chefchaouen, Morocco, on February 5, 2022.
In Morocco, on February 1, 2022, 5-year-old Rayan Awram fell into a 32-meter deep well in the village of Ighran, located in Chefchaouen, prompting a massive nationwide rescue effort. The well was 45 cm wide at the top and narrowed at the bottom, making it impossible for rescuers to descend directly.
Five days later, rescuers finally reached the boy after removing much of the adjacent hillside and skillfully digging a horizontal path into the well.
Unfortunately, the boy passed away despite the hundreds of people who worked tirelessly to save him.
People gather as rescue teams attempt to reach a boy trapped in Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, on March 15, 2022, a 5-year-old boy named Haidar slipped to the bottom of a 25-meter deep well in Shokak, a drought-stricken village in Zabul province, about 400 km southwest of the capital Kabul.
The boy’s 50-year-old grandfather told AFP that Haidar fell into the well while trying to assist adults in digging a new well in the parched village.
Rescue teams worked tirelessly to save the boy. They dug an open trench from a corner on the surface to try to reach the spot where the boy was trapped after he was pulled up about 10 meters from the bottom of the well. After three days, despite their best efforts, the rescue team was unable to save him.
Upon the announcement of the boy’s death, Zabul police spokesperson Zabiullah Jawhar stated: “The rescue team faced a new obstacle, and a rock prevented them from digging further. We were worried that debris could fall on the boy, and we feared we might lose him, so we worked carefully.”
In India, on June 10, 2022, a 10-year-old boy named Rahul Sahu, who was both mute and deaf, fell into a well over 24 meters deep in Chhattisgarh state. The army and about 500 personnel from India’s Disaster Response Force worked day and night, overcoming bad weather and treacherous rocky terrain filled with venomous snakes and scorpions to save him.
Equipped with excavators and robots, the rescue team dug a hole more than 21 meters deep parallel to the well. Then, a tunnel approximately 4.5 meters long was created, connecting the upper hole to the well to bring the boy to safety.
Video of the rescue of Rayan Awram in Morocco.
