What to Know
- A landscaper fell 30 feet into a well and was stuck there for hours, without anyone knowing he was there,town officials said
- The man was outside a Pearl River home when the ground beneath him suddenly gave way, sending him plummeting at least 30 feet
- After being trapped down there hurt for nearly 4 hours without anyone knowing, finally someone noticed something was off and called his boss
A landscaper working in Rockland County fell 30 feet into a well on a residential property and was stuck there for hours, without anyone knowing he was there, according to town officials.
The man in his 20s was outside a Pearl River home Thursday evening when the ground beneath him suddenly collpased, town supervisor Chris Day said, after the cover of the dry well gave way.
He plummeted down at least 30 feet, firefighters said, badly injuring both legs. Making matters worse, no one knew he was down there and he had no way to get out.
After being trapped down in the hole for close to four hours, finally someone noticed something was wrong.
“The owner of the (landscaping) business got a call from the owner of the residence, saying his work truck was still there,” said Pearl Ricer Fire Chief Joel Spoelstra. The business owner went to the site to find his employee stuck below ground, and called 911.
The injured man, who also hurt his back, was pulled out of the well in about 30 minutes by firefighters using their ladder truck in the driveway, Spoelstra said. He was being treated at the hospital, and thankfully his injuries are not expected to be life-threatening.
