16-year-old rescued after falling 30 feet down well

ESSEX COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - A 16-year-old boy in Essex County fell down a well approximately 30 feet, and with the help of Essex, Hanover, and Chesterfield fire departments, he was rescued.

The teen was trapped in the well Sunday afternoon when Tappahannock-Essex Fire Department and Rescue arrived.

“The 16-year-old teenager was walking in his backyard when he stepped on a piece of plywood, which was the well cover covering the well,” Paul Richardson, Tappahannock-Essex Fire Chief, said.

The department requested the help of the Hanover Fire-EMS Technical Rescue Team for their resources.

The Virginia Emergency Operations Center then sent the Chesterfield Fire-EMS’ Technical Rescue Team for additional manpower for the harness system. They also coordinated a backup plan with Hanover Fire-EMS.

One of the Hanover crew members was lowered into the well while attached to a harness held by all the crew members at the scene. He was lowered into the well and secured the necessary harness to pull the teenager out of the well.

“We had a tripod and a rope system in place to basically put one of our firefighters on that rope system, and we were able to lower him down in the hole to gain access to the patient,” Matt Newell with the Hanover technical rescue team said.

Both were hoisted out, and the boy was taken to the hospital by a Life Evac helicopter to be evaluated.

“I did call a family member this morning and talked with them, and they said the young fella was at the VCU hospital, and he was doing well, and he is expected to make a full recovery,” Richardson said.

Copyright 2022 WWBT. All rights reserved.

Send it to 12 here.

Want NBC12’s top stories in your inbox each morning? Subscribe here.