PA Firefighters Pull Boy from 20-Foot Deep-Water Well

A game of hide-and-seek Sunday almost turned tragic for a boy in Unity after he fell into a 20-foot-deep water well and had to be rescued.

The boy was extricated by firefighters from Youngstown and Whitney-Hostetter Volunteer departments who responded to the scene "within minutes" in personal vehicles, according to Youngstown Chief Barry Banker.

"Fortunately, the only thing that appeared to be injured was the boy's pride. He was checked out at the scene, and everything appeared to be OK," Banker said.

The incident occurred about 3 p.m. when the boy, 12, was playing hide-and-seek with a friend near End of Road Farm Lane, just south of Youngstown off Route 982, firefighters said.

Banker said the well was covered, but the covering collapsed as the boy crossed it, and he fell in.

Firefighters borrowed an extension ladder from a neighbor and were planning to climb down and rescue the boy, but found it was a few feet short of hitting the floor, Banker said. Firefighters believed the boy was standing on some rocks in a few feet of water in the bottom of the well.

So the firefighters held the ladder, and the boy was able to climb it and exit the well, Banker said.

"Thankfully, everything appeared to be OK," he said.

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