BEIJING: A woman from southeastern China was miraculously rescued after accidentally falling into an abandoned well, where she clung desperately to the side for 54 hours, battling exhaustion, relentless mosquitoes, and even bites from water snakes.
The incident unfolded on Sept 13, when the 48-year-old woman, surnamed Qin, was out for a leisurely stroll in the woods of Quanzhou, Fujian province, before unexpectedly tumbling into the deep well.
Her family quickly noticed her disappearance, and after an initial search that yielded no results, they reported her missing on Sept 14.
Rescue efforts began on September 15. That morning, her son, having exhausted all other avenues, reached out to the Jinjiang Ruitong Blue Sky Emergency Rescue Centre for assistance.
A dedicated team of 10 rescuers, equipped with a thermal imaging drone, commenced a thorough search operation.
According to team captain Du Xiaohang, they suddenly heard a faint cry for help around 1.45pm. Following the sound, the team soon discovered the deep well shrouded in weeds.
Rescuers quickly cleared the vegetation from the wellhead and finally spotted Qin, who was submerged in water, her pale fingers gripping the slippery cracks of the well wall with immense determination.
Qin later revealed that after accidentally falling into the well, she was fortunate to know how to swim and managed to stay afloat by holding onto a stone embedded in the wall.
However, due to the well’s unique structure – narrow at the top and widening at the bottom – she lacked the strength to climb the wall.
After calming down, she clutched the stone with one hand and used the other to dig out three more stones to serve as makeshift footholds for support.
Clinging to the wall with both hands, she endured this precarious position for over two days.
“There were many moments when I completely broke down in despair. The bottom of the well was pitch black, swarming with mosquitoes, and even had a few water snakes swimming nearby. I was covered in mosquito bites and was even bitten once on my arm by a water snake. Fortunately, it wasn’t venomous and didn’t cause any serious harm,” Qin recalled.
“There were countless times I wanted to give up. But then I thought about my 70-year-old mother, my 80-year-old father, and my daughter who just started college. If I left them behind, what would they do?” she said, reflecting on the thoughts that gave her the strength to endure 54 harrowing hours until rescue arrived.
Immediately after her rescue, Qin was rushed to Jinjiang City Hospital and later transferred to Quanzhou First Hospital for further treatment.
Doctors diagnosed her with two fractured ribs and a minor collapsed lung. Her hands sustained severe injuries and ulcerations from clinging to the well’s wall.
Currently in stable condition, she is expected to make a full recovery after a few days of observation.
Her incredible survival story, reported by Southeast Morning Post, has captivated countless viewers on Chinese social media.
One commenter remarked: “Unimaginable. The kind of willpower a person can summon in a life-or-death moment is truly remarkable.”
Another added: “She is so strong. Thank goodness the rescue came in time, and I’m relieved the snake wasn’t poisonous.”
A third echoed: “Just imagining it makes me feel suffocated. This kind of trauma would last a lifetime. She’s incredibly fortunate to have made it out alive.” – South China Morning Post