Toddler Who Fell Into 40-Foot-Deep Dry Well Rescued After 18-Hour-Long Operation

A grueling overnight operation to rescue a toddler turned out to be a success after the child was recovered from a dry artesian well with a depth of over 40 feet.

The child, the daughter of a migrant worker couple from Myanmar, fell into the deep pit, which was dug at a cassava firm in northern Thailand's Tak province's Phop Phra district.

The 15-meter (49-foot) deep well was left uncovered by the landowner after it failed to strike groundwater, Phop Phra district chief Sanya Phetset said Tuesday, People reported.

The rescuers spotted signs of life after shouting down the well, and the girl responded by crying back, Associated Press reported. Apart from an oxygen tube, a camera was also lowered into the pit to check on the situation.

During the subsequent 18-hour-long rescue effort, a 30 centimeters (12 inches) wide pit was dug alongside the well using several backhoes and other excavation devices before the girl was successfully saved.

Several rescuers clapped and cheered, while others were brought to tears when the child was yanked from the deep pit and carried to a waiting ambulance by a stretcher.

"Great job, guys. We did it!" one rescuer exclaimed, as others wept and hugged each other.

"It seemed like an easy operation at first because it looked like loose dirt, but once we started digging we found rock, which made it difficult because excavators can't dig through it," Phetset told Thairath, the Associated Press reported.

Phetset explained the operation was delicate as there were chances that the sides of the pit could collapse onto the child from the digging.

The child was sent to Phop Phra Hospital after being carried to safety and is currently recovering.

"She is safe now. She's a bit tired but there's nothing serious," Phetset said.

In May 2021, rescuers managed to save the life of a 4-year-old boy, who fell into a nearly 90-foot-deep well in India. The child, Anil Dewasi, was lucky to be alive, despite being stuck in the well for about 16 hours. He was saved after a person saw the boy fall into the deep pit, and raised an alarm.