After twelve hours of work, firefighters were able to rescue the body of the two-year-old boy who drowned after falling into a well with a depth of almost 110 meters. The minor was playing with his parents in the park of the Roma urbanization in Cercado de Lima until he accidentally fell into a hole hidden in the grass. Immediately the firefighters and agents of the National Police of Perú arrived to start the rescue.
About 15 firefighter units with specialized equipment and heavy machinery were needed to dig the well, which was only 12 inches wide. An oxygen line had to be generated so that the child was not left without breathing, but it was extremely complex. It was explained that until 5 in the afternoon the voice of the boy could be heard. However, Larry Lynch, Commander-in-Chief of the Fire Department, told the press that the minor drowned in the water from the well, that had reached a meter and a half.
The body was found at 12 o’clock at night and was taken to the Morgue of Lima while the Police investigated the origin of the abandoned well. The fire chief, Mario Casaretto, reported that the well was an abandoned irrigated canal and that Sedapal machinery was used to reach the place where the minor was.
He specified that members of the National Search and Rescue Service (USAR Peru) and agents of the Rescue Squad of the National Police also participated in the rescue efforts.
The mayor of Lima, Jorge Muñoz, went to the scene of the tragedy, but didn’t gave his opinion or testify to the press. The Municipality of Lima asked Sedapal for a report on the situation of the c
ity’s wells, since the well where the boy fell was the responsibility of the company. On the other hand, Pilar Mazzeti, Minister of Health, sent her condolences to the family. «We have all broken our souls,» she said. Similarly, the Ministry of Women made sure to provide psychological support to parents to face the irreparable loss.
The Lima Drinking Water and Sewerage Service (Sedapal) stated in its statement that the well where the two-year-old died, is not part of the infrastructure it manages. Despite this, this event is still being investigated with the company so that it does not happen again.
“Due to the emergency and to collaborate with the rescue actions, the safety cover of the piezometric well has been removed. Once completed, it will be placed again with all the security measures in the case,” they indicated.
