Rescuers Work Tirelessly To Rescue Toddler Trapped in Well for 8 Days
The world has watched intently for over a week now, hoping and praying that the boy who fell down a well in Spain is alive.
Two-year-old Julen Rosello was enjoying a picnic with his family on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2019, when he slipped into a borehole in Totalan, People magazine reported.
An outpouring of support from rescue workers and the community have given the boy’s parents hope their son will be found alive soon.
Inside 240ft tunnel where boy, 2, has been trapped for 4 days after falling down well
Julen Rosello’s dad said his family is ‘dead inside’ but they are holding onto hope the child will be rescued from the well in Malaga, Spain pic.twitter.com/wjSB6K2MtE
— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) January 17, 2019
“It’s as if Julen were everyone’s son,” engineer Angel Vidal told Reuters. Despite the passing hours and days, the efforts to rescue Julen have continued, showing there’s still hope for a miracle.
“We continue to work intensely, nonstop, and we hope to reach our desired goal very soon,” Vidal told the Guardian on day 6.
Now, 8 long days have passed, going into day 9. Complications have risen that have unfortunately slowed rescue efforts.
According to People magazine, Julen fell about 30 stories (or more) down the well that is too narrow for adults to enter.
The workers have been drilling for days, hoping to reach the same depth as the toddler so miners can manually dig a horizontal tunnel to where the boy fell.
There has been no contact with two year-old Julen Rosello since he fell down the 100 metres (350 feet) deep well in a town near Malaga, Spain on January 13 https://t.co/i8b9rJB1aM pic.twitter.com/MWiXShwtU1
— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 20, 2019
Hard rock and granite have been unexpected challenges. As of Jan. 16, it was confirmed the drill reached 73 meters deep, according to The Associated Press.
The challenge has been getting past that point. A robotic camera was sent down as well, but it was also too large for the 360 feet deep and 10-inch wide hole.
Julen Rosello is still trapped in well for a week, rescue work hampered by difficult terrainhttps://t.co/eizji7WUM0 pic.twitter.com/Jc1yP5pBc7
— Ashoka News (@Ashokanews1) January 21, 2019
The camera only made it 229 feet, but was used to extract soil with Julen’s hair. The DNA sample was confirmed, according to NBC News.
“My wife is broken … we are dead inside,” Jose Rosello, Julen’s father, told reporters on Jan. 16. “But we hope we have an angel to get my son out of there.”
Rescuers desperately trying to reach a two-year-old Spanish boy who fell down a 100-metre deep bore hole have found his hair, the first proof he is in the tunnel. All Spain is hoping they can reach Julen Rosello. #Julen
https://t.co/difXw3b2gG— grahamkeeley (@grahamkeeley) January 16, 2019
El Pais reported that rescuers have been working through the night. We will watch, wait and pray with this family, who has already lost so much.
According to El Pais, the Rosellos lost another child in 2017. The 3-year-old passed away suddenly due to cardiac arrest.
Rescuers have begun digging two new tunnels in frantic search for Julen Rosello, a Spanish toddler who fell down a 360-foot-deep borehole on Sunday https://t.co/7wNMkK95eM (w/@CleveWootson)
— Amy B Wang (@amybwang) January 17, 2019
This story is heartbreaking, but hope doesn’t wane until Julen is found. We all know the story of baby Jessica McClure, the 18-month-old who was trapped inside a well in 1987 and rescued 58 hours later.
While Julen’s time has far exceeded hers, his parents haven’t ceased hoping and praying. Our prayers will continue as well for the boy and his family during this time.
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