Close call: Quick-thinking father saves daughter from 40-foot well in Kottayam

Kaduthuruthy(Kottayam): A two-and-a-half-year-old girl who fell into a 40-foot well was rescued by her father’s quick action Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Lenette, the daughter of Cyril from Manjoor, slipped and fell into the well near the Iravimangalam Public Library in Kaduthuruthy around 3:45 p.m.

Cyril, a nurse working in Qatar who had returned home a week earlier with his daughter and wife Annmaria, immediately jumped in and pulled the girl out of the water. The well contained more than 20 feet of water, leaving him unable to climb back up.

Cyril, his wife Annmaria, and her parents, Ciriyak and Annyamma, along with their hosts, had gone to the house of Jerin, a native of Thiruvalla, in Kakkathumala to look for accommodation. The property, overseen by  Thomasukutty, was being shown to the family when the accident occurred.

Thomasukutty and Vellapallikunnel VM Mathew, a Koothattukulam native working at a nearby construction site, rushed to help Cyril after he jumped into the well. Both climbed down and helped him.

Cyril made several attempts to climb up but was hindered by slippery moss on the walls. Fire brigade personnel from Kaduthuruthy reached the scene soon after and lifted all three to safety using a ladder and a net. Both were admitted to a private hospital in Muttuchira for treatment.