Girl, 7, Rescued After Falling Down 50-Foot Well - East Idaho News
National

Girl, 7, Rescued After Falling Down 50-Foot Well

  Published at  | Updated at

ABC 123113 GirlWell?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1388504196945WSB/ABC News(ATLANTA) — A 7-year-old old Georgia girl is recovering in a hospital after plummeting 50 feet down a narrow well.

Megan Winters spent more than an hour trapped in a well in Carroll County, Ga., Monday before rescue crews pulled the girl to safety. Megan’s mother posted on Facebook that her daughter’s arm, leg and hip are broken. Her mother also said she had bleeding and a bruise on her brain.

A television helicopter captured the tense effort to save Megan’s life as dozens of rescue vehicles and firemen rushed to the scene.

“She was conscious, alert, able to talk,” Carroll County Fire Chief Scott Blue said. “What we had to do was set up a rope system, rescue system. We sent a firefighter down.”

Megan had fallen head-first down the well that was so narrow the smallest firefighter on the scene had to be lowered into the well to make the rescue.

Firefighter Lt. Clay Kierbow said he found Megan face down with one leg bent to the left. The other was stuck beneath her.

“I finally managed to find a place to put my foot without stepping on her. Got down where we got a … web up under her arms,” Kierbow said.

Kierbow talked to Megan, trying to keep her calm, until rescuers were finally able to haul her out of the well an hour and 10 minutes later.

“First time in a well,” Kierbow said. “Hope it’s the last.”

Megan was airlifted to Atlanta Children’s Hospital where she underwent five hours of surgery for her injuries. As of Monday night, Megan was listed in critical condition.

Megan had been jumping on the well’s cover, which might have been weakened by the rain, her mother told ABC News.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION