Maryland Teen Rescued from Well

Aug. 6, 2007
His upper leg was impaled by debris in the well.

OXON HILL, Md. --

A teen is pulled from a well in Prince George's County after falling into the opening on Saturday, officials said.

Police said that at about 10 p.m. on Saturday, the teen was walking in the front yard of a home in the 5100 block of Abbott Drive in the Oxon Hill area when he stepped onto a piece of plywood. The plywood gave way and the teen fell into an abandoned well, officials said.

The teen sustained a significant injury when debris at the bottom of the well became impaled through his upper leg, authorities said.

The Fire/EMS Department's Technical Rescue and Confined Space (TRACS) Team was dispatched to the scene as well as a number of specialty Fire/EMS units to assist in the rescue.

Upon arrival, rescuers utilized a system of a tripod, ropes and pulley system into the well, which is about 4 feet wide, 4 feet long and 25 feet deep, officials said.

After ensuring the air in the well was safe, a firefighter was lowered into the confined space to treat the teen, free him from the debris that had impaled his leg and to place him in a safety harness for hoisting.

The victim was then lifted by the pulley system out of the well at about 11:30 p.m.

The teen was taken to a nearby hospital.

Officials then used a large metal plate to cover up the opening that the teen fell through. Officials said the homeowner will receive instructions on correcting the presence of the abandoned well.

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