'Christmas Miracle': Age 4 Boy Rescued After Spending 6 Hours Trapped in Well
A 4-year-old boy in Garceno, Texas, was trapped in a well Tuesday afternoon. When first responders showed up, the boy was wedged 8 or 9 feet down into the 44-foot-deep well.
Mission assistant fire Chief Robert Alvarez, who was on the scene, said the well was “more of a shaft, if I had to describe it,” and the boy was surrounded by hard soil and rock, according to The Monitor.
The ensuing rescue involved many different groups, including several fire departments and law enforcement agencies.
“In the Valley we respond as a region for a lot of things, and we help each other out,” Alvarez said.
“Fire departments were key in this, but our law enforcement partners and our emergency medical providers played a big role, because although they weren’t trained we had all kinds of law enforcement, DPS, game wardens, picking up a shovel and helping us move dirt around.
“The members on that team train throughout the year, not to just maintain their certifications and their continuous education, but to train as a team. Other departments have that team — McAllen, Pharr, Edinburg. Edinburg is known for their expertise, I guess you could say their forte is trench rescue.”
The boy was trapped for around six hours, during which time the rescuers kept talking to him and reassuring him “we’re working” and “we’re gonna get you out.”
“Adrenaline’s rushing,” Alvarez recalled. “The stress. Like with anything else, we want to make sure we could do this as quickly but also as safely as possible for everybody, so it’s tense moments, but yeah, it was a very big relief when we were able to get him out of that hole.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief once the boy was extracted from the well. He was airlifted to a hospital, where he was reported in stable condition.
The city of Mission’s Twitter account shared video of the child being pulled out of the hole.
“The incredible moment rescuers pulled out a 4-yr-old boy that fell into a well hole in Garceño,” it said. “So proud of our Mission firefighters & all 1st responders that rescued the child after 6 long hrs. Pit was only 8-10 inches in diameter. It’s a Christmas miracle!”
The incredible moment rescuers pulled out a 4-yr-old boy that fell into a well hole in Garceño. So proud of our Mission firefighters & all 1st responders that rescued the child after 6 long hrs. Pit was only 8-10 inches in diameter. It’s a Christmas miracle! pic.twitter.com/Ntj6XydlZ2
— City of Mission, TX (@CityOfMissionTX) December 9, 2020
“Through prayers and actions from everyone, a little boy lives today,” Sheriff Rene Fuentes said in a statement, according to KWES-TV.
“Last night proved to be a testament of our community and neighboring communities’ unity and sincere concern for each other. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
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